Professionals
Impact of abuse and trauma on children
Children can experience both short and long term cognitive, behavioral and emotional effects as a result of experiencing or witnessing abuse and neglect. Each child will respond differently to trauma and some may be resilient and not exhibit any negative effects particularly if they have protective factors in their family and/or community.
Children’s responses to trauma may vary according to a multitude of factors including, but not limited to, age, race, sex stage of development and the personality of the child.