A critical aspect of supporting young children and families is your understanding of the varied ways traumatic influences impact children’s identities and their development. What might surprise you is that the ways in which you view trauma, much like your other views, have also been shaped in various ways by societal bias. This week you were asked to review a sampling of articles focused on a variety of different categories of trauma. These articles were specifically selected to provide you with information on a range of traumatic influences while also providing you with another lens through which to view that particular trauma. As you engage in this week’s discussion be certain to focus on the varied ways trauma can influence children differently, the similarities and differences found amongst a range of traumatic influences, and any factors of resilience that were revealed in your readings.
Keep in mind the prompts below:
- Aspects of this week’s readings that challenged your thinking with regard to trauma and other disruptive life events and the ways in which trauma impacts children’s identities and continued development. Provide examples, including what surprised you and if relevant, what preconceptions were dispelled.
- The similarities and differences you found amongst the categories of traumatic influences you explored
- Your definition of resilience and any factors of resilience you found in the articles you selected
- Any connections you made between Quinn’s story (from “Learning from Another’s Life Story”) and this week’s reading assignments
