Certain childhood stressors cause extreme emotional trauma and may lead to serious behavior problems.
- Prolonged stress due to financial struggles or poverty;
- Separation and loss due to divorce, death, moves;
- Witnessing domestic violence or substance abuse by parents;
- Environmental and cultural stressors such as violence in the community, natural disasters, negative peer culture;
- Experiencing abuse or neglect;
- Experiencing serious physical illness and hospitalization;
- Neurologically related disorders of childhood;
- Living with a parent or sibling who has emotional or physical disabilities.
Growing up is inevitably a stressful endeavor. Children face loss, separation, sorrow, and other painful emotions during family life transitions and crises. Most children are quite adaptable to normal stress, but parents can help by following these principles for coping with stress in the child's life.
Next page > How Parents Can Help a Child Cope with Stress and Trauma
