ABSTRACT
Psychological trauma is caused by an extreme event that occurs unexpectedly and suddenly, is life-threatening or is perceived to be so, and has an intense impact on the senses of the person involved. A wide range of reactions, responses and emotions can be brought forth by such experiences. Reactions directly following the event can be characterized as shock. Such reactions might include a feeling that nothing is real, emotional apathy and confusion, as well as physical responses such as trembling, shivering or nausea. Children often react differently than adults. For this reason, adults do not always understand the connection between the child’s behavior and the traumatic experience. For instance, depressed children are often active and restless, while depressed adults are sluggish and move at a slower speed. Moreover, children suffer from extreme mood swings, from jubilant at the one extreme to deeply sorrowful.
