TRAUMA AND DEVELOPMENT
Trauma affects development, both social and neurological. However, it has been shown
that spiritual development can counter or overcome some of the effect of trauma on the
developmental process. Trauma comes in many different forms, both mental and physical and
leads to long-term consequences. The consequences from trauma also come in many different
forms, both again, mental and physical.
Broderick and Blewitt (2016) state, “Infants’ attachment status can be affected by
exposure to contextual adversity in both direct and indirect ways. Some adverse events, such as
violence against the mother seem to be especially traumatizing and disorganizing for infants and
much more difficult to redress. When maltreated children become maltreating parents, they pass
on their insecure attachment status. Thus, they tend to experience high levels of dissociation, that
is, a detachment from their own emotional reality”” (p. 156). Trauma shapes the lives and
behaviors of the victims. Another example of trauma that affects the neural development of the
child would be the experience of what Dr. Brooks (2014), describes as a high-conflict divorce.
The child is caught in the middle and suffers considerable collateral damage. The child Dr.
Brooks spoke of described feeling as if he was in a tug-of-war between his parents and his Mom
pulled harder”. This example has the indicators that the child would begin to display behaviors of
lying, manipulating, possible aggression, depression and attachment disorder. Children who are
not raised with proper social and mental support normally exhibit signs of developmental delay
that could be attributed to trauma.
Developmental effects of trauma go back to creation. Genesis 3 (New American
Standard Bible) tells that when Adam and Eve realized they were naked, due to their sin choice,
the developmental reaction was to hide and ultimately to deny culpability for their actions. The
longer-term consequence is still in effect today as man still toils for food and shelter, and woman
2
TRAUMA AND DEVELOPMENT
still bears pain in childbirth. Fortunately, God is gracious and forgiving. Just as He provided a
blood sacrifice in the Garden of Eden to atone for the sins of Adam and Eve, He provided a
blood sacrifice through His Son to atone for the sins of the world.
Types of trauma do differ between cultures. According to the National Child Traumatic
Stress Network (2007), “Latinos/Hispanics experienced a lower incidence of sexual abuse and
neglect but a higher incidence of domestic violence and community violence when compared to
Caucasian children, almost three times as many. According to the National Child Abuse and
Neglect Data System (2002), of all children reported as maltreated in 2001, 50.2% were white,
25% were African American, and 14.5% were Hispanic/Latin” (p. 2). Reading Ardino and
Zaiontz(2014), it is evident that it is of utmost importance to first understand your own culture
and then to be aware of the cultures of the clients one may be counseling. The are similarities
and differences in cultures as well as similarities and differences in counseling styles,
understanding how to marry the two in order to best serve the client is the struggle for many
clinicians.
Spiritual development can counter the effects of trauma. Roehlkepartain (2016) explains,
“During practices such as meditation, stimulation of the limbic system may result from activity
in the frontal cortex, which is known to modulate emotional responses via its connections with
two limbic structures, the amygdala and hippocampus. Increased frontal lobe activity has been
shown to occur during meditation and likely occurs during other types of spiritual practices” (p.
16). Victims go in to a seeking mode to determine exactly what has happened and why. The
spiritual exploration leads to relationship with God and a renew sense of self-esteem. The victim
is able to adjust and survive through the power of God. As Dr. Brooks (2014) pointed out, “an
3
TRAUMA AND DEVELOPMENT
anxious brain becomes a brain at rest when focused on scripture. God changes our perspective
of things”.
In conclusion, it is seen that trauma comes in many forms and can have far reaching
effects. These effects can be countered and/or overcome by pursuing spiritual development in
order to establish relationship with and reliance on God. The brain and the entire human being
was designed and created by God to be in harmony with Him, when this connection occurs and is
pursued then the trauma can be overcome with the peace of God.
4
TRAUMA AND DEVELOPMENT
References
Ardino, V. & Zaiontz, C (2014). Trauma and culture. Implications for research and treatment. Clinical
Neuropsychiatry: Journal of Treatment Evaluation, 11.1, 3.
Broderick, P. C., & Blewitt, P. (2015). The life span: Human development for helping professionals (4th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Brooks, J. (2014). Divorce and Stress [Video lecture]. Retrieved from Liberty University HSCO 502-
B10 LUO Week 4.
Liberty University (2016). Human Growth and Development [e-book] (custom ed.). Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage Publishing.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. 2007. Culture and Trauma Brief [Data File]. Retrieved
from
http://www.nctsn.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/culture_and_trauma_brief_v2n3_LatinoHispanicChildren
.pdf
5
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
