Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters: What Parents Can Do - How Children React to Trauma

Written by NIMH

Children Age 5 and Under

Children under five can react in a number of ways:

• Facial expressions of fear
• Clinging to parent or caregiver
• Crying or screaming
• Whimpering or trembling
• Moving aimlessly
• Becoming immobile
• Returning to behaviors common to being younger

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  • Thumb sucking
  • Bedwetting
  • Being afraid of the dark.

Young children's reactions are strongly influenced by parent reactions to the event.

Children Age 6 to 11

Children between six and 11 have a range of reactions. They may:

• Isolate themselves
• Become quiet around friends, family, and teachers
• Have nightmares or other sleep problems
• Become irritable or disruptive
• Have outbursts of anger
• Start fights
• Be unable to concentrate
• Refuse to go to school
• Complain of unfounded physical problems
• Develop unfounded fears
• Become depressed
• Become filled with guilt
• Feel numb emotionally
• Do poorly with school and homework.

Adolescents Age 12 to 17

Children between 12 and 17 have various reactions:

• Flashbacks to the traumatic event (flashbacks are the mind reliving the event)
• Avoiding reminders of the event
• Drug, alcohol, tobacco use and abuse
• Antisocial behavior i.e. disruptive, disrespectful, or destructive behavior
• Physical complaints
• Nightmares or other sleep problems
• Isolation or confusion
• Depression
• Suicidal thoughts.

Adolescents may feel guilty about the event. They may feel guilt for not preventing injury or deaths. They may also have thoughts of revenge.