Because trauma can be caused by so many things that are omnipresent – violence, lack of safety, chronic poverty and food insecurity, marginalisation, passed on by previous generations – there are very few people who are not affected by trauma at all, even though many are not aware that they are. This means that trauma, and awareness of it, is at the centre of child protection in many different ways. It comes in with dealing with traumatised children, recognising trauma in parents who are struggling, preventing trauma and helping to resolve trauma.
Trauma responses lead to a lack of tolerance, to conflicts and aggression. To keep us alive, the brain tries to hide the paralysing overwhelm of awareness of trauma from us. But being hidden, it is not gone. Physiological adaptations have been made to survive the traumatic experience but from its hiding place, the trauma still directs our behaviour and reactions to try to ensure that we stay safe from the terrible things. Unfortunately, the results of the adaptations – useful as they were to survive the original experience – can have long-term and wide-ranging damaging and destructive effects.
When trauma is processed and resolved, the ability to see other people as human beings and communicate openly with others increases. With interaction prejudices and stigmas have an opportunity to crumble. With less reactive and aggressive responses, there is more space for communication and consideration of action, as well as more acceptance. Leading to a reduction of polarisation, hostilities, and aggression. Altogether this leads to increased feelings of connection, belonging, and trust. These are all crucial to both individual well-being and peaceful coexistence.
The book Understanding the Trauma of Children from Institutions. A training manual for case workers (you can order it in hard copy HERE and in PDF or audio version HERE) explains how growing up in an institution causes trauma in children. But it does more than that. It explains the mechanisms and adaptations in the brain and the stress response system connected to trauma and the long-term consequences for health, behaviour, and reaction, as well as ways to provide support. While the explanation in the training manual of neglect, isolation, and abuse as a cause for trauma is specific to children from institutions, the principles and consequences are applicable in family situations too.
The intensive training programme that has been developed based on this training manual is adapted to be delivered to people working with children from institutions as well as those working with children in families and communities. Full or partial training has been provided in the context of care reform in India and the context of family strengthening and prevention of separation in Kenya, for example.
The intensive, interactive, in-person training programme is designed to help participants to deeply understand the core principles involved and to connect the training content with their own work experience through active engagement. The aim is for participants to come away from the training feeling that its full implementation in their daily practice is a necessity rather than an option, and that it feels like a natural thing to do. The training will highly benefit social workers, those managing the alternative care reform process, NGO workers, local authorities who make placement decisions, and those building capacity around care reform. Train-the-trainer programmes and discussions around developing university curriculums for social workers are also possible.
Comment from a training participant: ‘… the knowledge that was imparted was an eye opener just to realize that there is more to how and why children behave differently’
This presentation gives more information about different training options. However, feel free to email info@familybasedsolutions.org for more information and to discuss how the programme can be adapted to fit your needs.