When the school psychologist spoke with Jessica, she learned that her mother had recently remarried and on weekends Jessica was left in the care of her stepfather while her mother was at work. Sometimes when people experience an event so terrible and frightening that it is difficult for most of us to imagine, they suffer from shock. This can happen after a one-time natural catastrophe like a hurricane or a flood or after an experience like seeing someone shot. Sometimes this kind of shock can happen when an unpleasant experience occurs time and time again in a child's life, like being hit or sexually abused repeatedly. People who suffer from a prolonged reaction to such shock may be diagnosed as having Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Children respond to traumatic situations with intense fear, helplessness or horror.
They may retain memories of the event for a long time. Emotionally, they may become numb or anxious or depressed, moods which may intrude on daily activities and interfere with play, school or family life. For example, Jessica, described above, could not get the experience out of her mind and began to avoid having anything to do with men, even her gym teacher, to have nightmares and to lose her ability to concentrate on her school work. A trauma may occur after one episode or it may be the result of repeated episodes, such as the trauma experienced by abused children or children who may witness violence because they live in violent neighborhoods or war zones. To warrant a diagnosis of PTSD, the reaction must be present for more than one month and cause significant impairment in the person's life and functioning.