How Children Respond to Stress and Trauma

Children are very affected by the events, situations, and environments around them. Research shows that when children experience trauma or intense stress without enough support to heal, they are more likely to have challenges into adulthood. The good news is that a positive relationship with even one caring adult can help reduce the effect of trauma on a child’s life. When families and Head Start staff understand the effects of stress and trauma, children get the support and care they need to cope.

Types of Stress That Affect Children

Examples of ACEs

• Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse
• Emotional and physical neglect
• Separation from primary caregivers (divorce, incarceration, foster care, death of caregiver, or other situations)
• Living with a family member with mental health or substance use disorders
• Witnessing domestic violence
• Poverty
• Racism and discrimination
• Violence in the community

Stressful or traumatic experiences will not affect all children in the same way. But there are several common events that can harm children’s long-term health if they don’t get support from adults.

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are terms for stressful events in children’s lives. Children of all backgrounds can have ACEs. This term comes from a research study that showed the more ACEs in a person’s life, the higher the risk for health and mental health problems.

Recently, researchers have begun to examine the effects of positive childhood experiences (PCEs). For instance, positive parenting practices are a PCEs that reduces the effect of any ACEs a child might have.

Chronic Stress

Chronic stress is when a person has high levels of stress over time — such as exposure to ACEs — and does not have enough support. Children in a constant state of stress without buffering experiences can develop significant challenges. Ongoing stress can interrupt their brain growth, affect organ development, and raise the risk of cognitive delay. Lots of stress over time can hurt children’s health and development. They need support from caring adults.

Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are things in everyday life that affect health. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, play, work, live, and age. Most people have a mix of positive and challenging conditions in their life. 
Examples of SDOH:

• Safe place to live, neighborhoods, and transportation
• Racism, discrimination, and violence
• Education, job options, and income
• Access to nutritious foods and ways to be physically active
• Polluted air and water
• Language and literacy skills

Some SDOH can protect children and families from the effects of more challenging conditions. Protective SDOH — like affordable education, access to healthy food, or safe places to spend time outside — help communities stay healthy. Libraries, parks, playgrounds, sidewalks or walking paths, and recreation centers create positive experiences. They support the social, emotional, and physical well-being of everyone in the community. They can reduce stress from more challenging conditions.

Some SDOH — like poverty, problems getting good health care, or neighborhood violence — are a common source of chronic stress. These kinds of chronic stress can become ACEs without buffering experiences.

Children of any background, race, or income can have ACEs. But children and families from historically marginalized communities can have more challenges. Historically marginalized communities are groups of people who have been less able to get basic services or opportunities because of systemic racism and oppression. Systemic racism is when the way things work — like politics, laws, education, or health care — harms one group of people but helps another. Systemic racism can play a major role in SDOH. It can lead to chronic stress and trauma for a group of people. This trauma can repeat across generations, affecting the whole community.

Witnessing a Crisis

Children can be affected by seeing or hearing about a tragic event or crisis. Sometimes, even hearing or seeing pictures of a tragedy on the news can have a big impact. If the crisis on TV is stressful or painful for the adults in the family, children are more likely to react too.

How Children May React to Stress and Trauma

Children may not have the language to talk about their stress and feelings. Adults should watch for common behaviors during or after trauma, especially if they are new or have changed a lot for a child.

The best way to tell if children are having stress and need extra support is by getting to know them individually. Knowing what is typical for each child helps any changes in behavior stand out. A new behavior might be concerning or confusing. Take time to talk with other adults in the child’s life and ask questions. Staff can use a trauma-informed approach to learn about and respond to a child’s new behaviors.

Signs of Stress or Trauma in Young Children

• Not eating or becoming picky about what or how they eat
• Problems sleeping
  • Having nightmares
  • Not wanting to sleep alone
• Toileting problems, bedwetting
• Anxious, either avoiding or clinging to adults
• Sad, moody, irritable
  • Harder time playing with others
  • More tantrums
  • Overreacting to minor bumps or falls
• More complaints of headaches and stomachaches
• Not paying attention, restless, “spacing out”
• Wanting things done only their way
• More physical violence
  • Hitting others
  • Playing in violent ways
• Regression, not being able to do the things they used to
  • Wanting to be carried or rocked all the time
  • Baby talk
• Over- or under-reacting to being touched or to loud noises like sirens or doors slamming
• Intense focus on the event or situation
  • Wanting to always talk about what happened
  • Wanting to know all the details of the event
  • Asking the same questions about the event again and again
  • Being afraid the event will happen again
  • Recreating the event by drawing, playing, or talking about it

These signs are things to watch for and to learn more about, not a checklist or screening tool. On their own, items on this list do not mean a child had or is having trauma. Many of these behaviors are developmentally appropriate for children as they learn and grow. Also, a child may have trauma and not show any of these signs of stress.

How to Support Children Through Stress and Trauma

Adults Can Help Children Build Resilience

Children are more resilient when they have strong and caring relationships with adults. Resilience helps children cope with stress and heal after trauma. Build children’s resilience by:

• Spending time playing, laughing, and talking with children. Safe and stable relationships are the best protection against stress and trauma.
• Responding to children’s needs. Try to give them what they need to heal, which may mean giving them extra attention, a physical connection, or chances to talk about their feelings.
• Paying attention to children’s behavior. What is their behavior trying to tell you?
• Keeping a consistent daily routine as much as possible. Children feel safer when they know what is going to happen in their day.
• Comforting children. Make sure they know there are adults who can keep them safe.
• Asking them about their feelings. Encourage them to talk or draw about their feelings.
• Trying to stay calm in stressful situations. Young children are always watching, listening, and learning. They absorb the feelings of adults around them.

If a child is showing signs of trauma and stress, these supportive strategies can help them cope. Some children may also benefit from referrals to mental health professionals who focus on helping children cope with trauma.

Head Start Programs Can Help Families Build Resilience

Head Start programs have a unique opportunity to help families heal and reduce chronic stress in their lives. Focus on building protective SDOH to help families build a strong and healthy foundation. Having a safe place to live, access to food, and a doctor they trust can make it easier for families to cope after stress and trauma. Supporting family well-being helps caregivers build resilience and be ready to support their children in a crisis.

Head Start programs can use two-generation approaches and community partnerships to meet the needs of children and families. Programs can:

• Build partnerships with families. Support family mental health and well-being with the family assessment and partnership process. Use this process to find and help families with stressful things in their life.
• Talk to families about mental health during the intake process. Ask families for their opinions about mental health. Explain what mental health supports are available at the program, like mental health consultation services. Share other resources in the community.
• Check in often with families to ask about their health and mental health. For example, use family-teacher conferences to ask how families are doing. Create a drop-box for caregivers to privately ask staff for help. Set aside time in every family meeting to practice wellness.
• Ask the mental health consultant to introduce themselves at family events. This helps families get to know the mental health consultant at their program and how they might get support.

Resources for Head Start Staff and Families

For Program Staff

Head Start Heals: Podcast Series
A podcast series highlighting how Head Start staff can support families during tough times. Topics also include how to talk to children and families about challenging topics.

Supporting Children Facing Trauma
This four-part webinar gives Head Start staff the tools to understand trauma and its effect on young children and to build resiliency. It offers program leaders strategies to make sure Head Start programs are ready to serve children and families affected by trauma.

Breaking Through: Understanding Stress and Resilience in Young Children 
This 20-minute educational video shows how chronic stress can affect a child’s lifelong health and well-being. Hear how Head Start programs and health care professionals are working to prevent chronic stress.

Resilience and Coping with Trauma 
This webpage offers resources for early educators on how to respond to different traumatic experiences for young children and their families.

ACEs and Chronic Stress: Frequently Asked Questions 
This infographic is a summary of ACEs, chronic stress, and trauma in young children. It has links to resources about stress and brain development, health risks, and circumstances.

For Families

Sesame Street Workshop Resources: Traumatic Experiences
Sesame Street Workshop has lots of family-friendly resources to support children after trauma or crisis. There are videos, handouts, and articles that help children learn how to cope and express their feelings.

The Ability to Cope: Building Resilience in Yourself and Your Child
Resilience helps both children and adults cope with the big and little stresses of life. Learn more about resilience and some simple ways to build it in your family every day.

Helping Your Child Cope After a Disaster
Adjusting to change and loss is extra hard for children under 5. They have not developed their own coping skills yet. They depend on caregivers, family members, and teachers to help them through hard times. This resource gives families tips on how best to support young children after a disaster.

Caregiver Tips for Helping Infants and Toddlers after Disasters
This resource helps caregivers understand how very young children often behave after a disaster. It explains behaviors and suggests next steps for adults to support their child.

Children and Domestic Violence 
These handouts for caregivers help adults support children who experience or witness domestic violence. Topics include keeping children safe, talking about feelings, celebrating a child’s strengths, and self-care for adults.

Last Updated: July 23, 2024