ABSTRACT
Because of rapid access to information, children in many nations are exposed, daily, to the world’s multiple stresses. In addition to media exposure, every year millions of children in and outside of the United States are exposed to mass or individual violence (e.g., child abuse, school and community violence, war, terrorist attacks), natural and human-made disasters, severe deprivation, animal attacks, and severe accidents. These experiences may occur when the child is alone or among strangers (e.g., hiking, crossing the street, biking), with family (e.g., car accidents, hostage or war experiences), or in a group (e.g., terrorist attacks, sniper shootings, natural disasters). They may occur once or repeatedly, in less than a day or over a prolonged period. Research has contradicted the notion that young children are more resilient following trauma (Scheeringa, Zeanah, Myers, & Putnam, 2005). Following traumatic experiences, a significant number of children react in ways that substantially disrupt or impair their and their family’s daily lives, their growth and development, and their abilities to function normally (Box 1.1; Fletcher, 2003; La Greca, Silverman, Vernberg, & Roberts, 2002a; Webb, 2004; Wilson, Friedman, & Lindy, 2001). Unresolved traumatic reactions may seriously derail a youth’s life path; task, work, or academic performance; and well-being. Much more information is needed to achieve a full understanding of the manner in which catastrophic experiences affect children over time. Researchers are finding that multimethod and multimeasure assessments increase understanding of the nature of childhood posttraumatic reactions.
