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Signs of Trauma

Trauma can have a significant impact on children’s lives, but sometimes it can be hard to spot the signs. Children’s response to traumatic events can vary depending on:

Signs of trauma
  • Developmental level. Different stages of brain development (because of age or disability) greatly impact how a child reacts to trauma.
  • Cultural factors. Trauma reactions vary considerably across cultures. Children are likely to respond to trauma in ways they have learned from their own families or communities.
  • History of trauma and adversity. A child’s previous experiences of trauma can undermine their sense of safety, stability, bonding, and, ultimately, how they respond to other adverse experiences. These repeated experiences of trauma, often interpersonal in nature, can lead to complex trauma.
  • Supportive caregivers and positive experiences. Experiencing a range of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) and at least one healthy caregiving relationship lessens the effects of trauma for children.
  • Available resources. Children and families who have access to resources (like housing support, cash and food assistance, employment services, healing supports, educational support services, school or community-based activities, etc.) are more likely to recover quickly.

Bias (implicit and explicit) can impact the way an adult interprets a child’s behaviors, what may be causing the behaviors, and what the appropriate response should be. Thinking about the role trauma could be playing in a child’s behavior can help adults respond appropriately and choose actions that promote healing for the child.

Youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities are more likely to disclose their trauma through behaviors rather than verbal expression.

Common Signs of Trauma

Trauma may impact a child’s…

Trauma impact on the body

Body

Brain (thinking)

Trauma impact on emotions

Emotion (feelings)

Trauma impact on behavior

Behavior

Trauma impact on relationships

Relationship and attachment
  • Physical complaints (often persist with no medical reason)
  • Chronic illness
  • Unexplained headaches
  • Stomachaches
  • Frequent physical aches
  • Changes in sleeping patterns (e.g., trouble falling asleep or sleeping too much)
  • Changes in appetite
  • Hopelessness
  • Difficulty concentrating, learning, or thinking
  • Academic challenges
  • Impaired memory
  • Difficulty in switching from one activity to another
  • Excessive fear
  • Jumpy
  • More alert
  • Hypervigilant
  • Sadness
  • Frequent mood swings
  • Struggle to control emotions
  • Difficulty verbalizing emotions
  • Feel numb
  • Crying a lot
  • Withdrawn
  • Heightened aggression or irritability
  • Return to an earlier stage of development (e.g., bedwetting, thumb-sucking, fear of separation from caregiver)
  • Signs of self-injury
  • Engage in risky behaviors
  • Difficulty forming attachments to caregivers
  • Trouble with friendships
  • Avoid social situations
  • More reserved or disconnected from peers or family
  • Trouble interpreting or responding to social cues
  • Difficulty trusting others
  • Display a need for control

Age-based Signs of Trauma

Trauma can include a variety of signs and symptoms. These can vary based on the age and developmental stage of the child.

Infants

Jump to Infant’s Chart

Collaborative Trauma ID - age group - PRESCHOOL

Jump to Preschooler’s Chart

Collaborative Trauma ID - age group- CHILDREN

Jump to Children’s Chart

Collaborative Trauma ID - age group- ADOLESCENTS

Jump to Adolescent’s Chart

Collaborative Trauma ID - age group- YOUNG ADULTS

Jump to Young Adult’s Chart

Infants (Birth – Age 3)
Trauma may affect an infant’s… In the following ways…
Trauma impact on the bodyBody
  • Frequent nightmares
  • Difficulty falling asleep
  • Sleeplessness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Low weight
  • Refusal to eat
  • Digestion issues
  • Problems during feeding
Brain (thinking)
  • Loss of developmental achievements (e.g., potty training, speech)
  • Slower progress in physical, cognitive, or language skills
Trauma impact on emotionsEmotions (feelings)
  • Easily startled
  • Irritability or fussiness
Trauma impact on behaviorBehavior
  • Inability to be soothed or self-soothe
  • Aggressive towards self or others
  • Persistent tantrums that do not stop after a few minutes
  • Reluctance to explore the world
Trauma impact on relationshipsRelationships and attachment
  • Fear of separation from caregiver (e.g., clinginess)
  • Disengagement from previously trusted adult
  • Not seeking comfort when hurt or frightened
  • Avoidance of eye contact and/or physical contact
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Infants
Collaborative Trauma ID - age group - PRESCHOOL
Preschoolers (Age 3 – 5)
Trauma may affect a preschooler’s… In the following ways…
Trauma impact on the bodyBody
  • Sleeplessness
  • Fear of going to bed
  • Frequent nightmares
  • Weight fluctuations
  • Loss of appetite
Brain (thinking)
  • Lack of self-confidence
  • Social or developmental delays in comparison to peers
  • Difficulty focusing or learning
  • Loss of previously mastered skills (e.g., speech, potty training, self-soothing, falling asleep)
  • Difficulty trusting others
Trauma impact on emotionsEmotions (feelings)
  • Difficulty managing emotions
  • Intense anger
  • Chronic sadness
  • Often confused
  • Extreme shyness
  • Excessive fear or worry
  • Emotionally numb (e.g., blank eyes, does not react to people/events around them)
  • Easily startled
Trauma impact on behaviorBehavior
  • Temper tantrums
  • Aggressive (e.g., hitting, kicking, throwing things, or biting)
  • Scream or cry a lot
  • Recurrent violent or sexual play
  • Being constantly on guard
  • Heightened sensitivity to environment
  • Self-inflicted injuries (e.g., picking scabs, pulling hair, hitting head agains walls)
  • Classroom disruption
  • Hyperactivity
  • Restlessness
  • Higher or lower activity levels compared to peersHigher or lower activity levels compared to peers
Trauma impact on relationshipsRelationships and attachment
  • Overly bossy or controlling
  • Extreme fear of punishment (e.g., running away, overly compliant)
  • Clinginess
  • Withdraw from previously trusted adult
  • Difficulty making friends
  • Not playing with other kids their age
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Children (Age 6 – 12)
Trauma may affect a child’s… In the following ways…
Trauma impact on the bodyBody
  • Frequent headaches
  • Stomachaches
  • Overreaction to minor bumps and bruises
  • Eating much more or less than peers
  • Other unexplained physical symptoms
Brain (thinking)
  • Attention and/or memory problems
  • Sudden changes in performance
  • Low or failing grades
  • Inability to trust others
Trauma impact on emotionsEmotions (feelings)
  • Unusually high level of anger
  • Very withdrawn or wanting to be left alone
  • Loneliness
  • Preoccupied with fear something bad will happen
Trauma impact on behaviorBehavior
  • Difficulty in transitioning from one activity to the next
  • Fighting with adults or peers
  • Increase in activity level
  • Statements and questions about death and dying
  • Drug or alcohol use
  • Lack of enjoyment in activities
  • Sexual knowledge beyond the child’s age
  • Self-inflicted violence (e.g., picking scabs, pulling hair, or cutting)
  • Behaviors common in younger child (e.g., thumb-sucking, bed wetting, fear of the dark)
Trauma impact on relationshipsRelationships and attachment
  • Lack of appropriate boundaries
  • Difficulty making friends
  • Fails to seek help from adult when hurt or scared
  • Fear of separation from parents
  • Difficulty with authority
  • Frequent behavioral referrals at school
Download PDF
Collaborative Trauma ID - age group- CHILDREN
Collaborative Trauma ID - age group- ADOLESCENTS
Adolescents (Age 13 – 17)
Trauma may affect an adolescent’s… In the following ways…
Trauma impact on the bodyBody
  • Eating problems
  • Sleeplessness or sleeping much more
  • Nightmares
  • Dissociation (i.e., “spacing out”)
  • Drastic and/or sudden changes to appearance (e.g., hair color, haircut, piercing, tattoos, clothing attire)
Brain (thinking)
  • Hyperactivity
  • Distractibility
  • Inattention
  • Helplessness
  • Poor self-esteem or negative self-talk
  • Overly self-reliant
  • Distrust of others
  • Changes in how they think about the world
  • Loss of former belief systems
Trauma impact on emotionsEmotions (feelings)
  • Shame
  • Embarrassment
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Feeling of alienation or loneliness
  • Flashbacks
  • Panic attacks
Trauma impact on behaviorBehavior
  • Food hoarding
  • Drug or alcohol use
  • Suicidal thoughts and actions
  • Self-injury (e.g., cutting, hair pulling, burning)
  • Running away
  • Unsafe sexual behaviors
  • Overly controlling
  • Aggression
  • Loss of interest in, withdrawing, or struggling to stay with an activity
  • Increased absenteeism from school or work
  • Fearful of home life (e.g., arriving to school early or leaving late)
  • Dropping out of school
  • Getting in trouble with the law
Trauma impact on relationshipsRelationships and attachment
  • Trouble relating to peers
  • Negatively influenced by peers or adults
  • Unhealthy romantic relationships
  • Difficulty maintaining relationships
  • Problematic sexual behaviors
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Young Adults (Age 18 – 22)
Trauma may affect a young adult’s… In the following ways…
Trauma impact on the bodyBody
  • Eating problems
  • Nightmares
  • Insomnia
  • Intense fatigue or exhaustion
  • Dissociation (i.e., “spacing out”)
  • Drastic and/or sudden changes to appearance (e.g., hair color, haircut, piercing, tattoos, clothing attire)
Brain (thinking)
  • Decreased feelings of safety
  • Negative changes of self (e.g., views self as permanently damaged)
  • Loss of former belief systems
  • Sudden change in performance, attention, or memory issues
Trauma impact on emotionsEmotions (feelings)
  • Intense feelings of shame
  • Guilt
  • Fear
  • Anger or irritability
  • Hopelessness
  • Pain
  • Flashbacks
  • Panic attacks
  • Edginess
  • Emotional numbness
Trauma impact on behaviorBehavior
  • Drug and alcohol use
  • Difficulty making decisions and judgments
  • Difficulty staying on task
  • Overcommit or take on more responsibility than they can handle
  • Withdrawal from others
  • Difficulty finishing tasks or accomplishing
  • Suicidal thoughts and actions
  • Self-injury (e.g., cutting, hair pulling, burning)
  • Loss of interest in activities
  • Frequent calling off from work
Trauma impact on relationshipsRelationships and attachment
  • Difficulty with authority at work, school, or in the community
  • Isolation
  • Few close or long-term relationships
  • Difficulty relying on others
  • Challenges with trust and intimacy
  • Unhealthy romantic and sexual relationships
Download PDF
Collaborative Trauma ID - age group- YOUNG ADULTS

Note: While this guide is meant to help you think about potential signs of trauma, it is not meant to be a diagnostic tool or checklist. Remember, these lists are not exhaustive. Individual children may exhibit a combination of signs from different age groups and signs of trauma may vary based on the developmental stage and cultural background of the child.