Some suffer only worries and bad memories that fade as a result of emotional support and to the passage of time. Others are more deeply affected and experience long-term problems. Research on post traumatic stress disorder shows that children who suffered trauma, including dog bites, or have witnessed violent or a traumatic injuries to members of their families, are subject to serious long-term problems. The emotional reactions of children who are the victims of, or witnesses to, dog attacks include fear, depression, withdrawal and anger. These problems can occur immediately or sometime after the tragic event.
Emotional injuries are essentially a normal response to an extreme event.
Emotional injury involves the creation of emotional memories, which arise through a long lasting effect on structures deep within the brain. The more direct exposure to the traumatic event, the higher the risk for emotional harm. A child, especially a very young one, attempts to read the environment in order to enhance his comfort and further survival. A traumatic event like a dog bite is often misunderstood as a statement about life in general, that it is uncertain, painful and precarious. These psychic wounds may become significant determinants of the adult personality, so that the dog attack truly affects the child victim for life.