KSA of the Day: The Effects of Trauma

Here is a cluster of bullet points from the Human Behavior in the Environment section of the ASWB Clinical Outline to take a look at as you prepare for the social work exam:

• The effects of abuse and neglect on victims
• The effects of trauma on behavior
• The effects of trauma on self-image

All are addressed at some length in on this page from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). At the start:

The majority of abused or neglected children have difficulty developing a strong healthy attachment to a caregiver. Children who do not have healthy attachments have been shown to be more vulnerable to stress. They have trouble controlling and expressing emotions, and may react violently or inappropriately to situations. Our ability to develop healthy, supportive relationships with friends and significant others depends on our having first developed those kinds of relationships in our families. A child with a complex trauma history may have problems in romantic relationships, in friendships, and with authority figures, such as teachers or police officers.

Trauma and abuse can be experienced at all ages, of course, but the effects of trauma are somewhat universal. Covered on the page, trauma's impact on:

Attachment and Relationships
Physical Health: Body and Brain
Emotional Responses
Dissociation
Behavior
Cognition
Self-Concept & Future Orientation
Long-Term Health Consequences
Economic Impact

Assessing for and helping with trauma is one of the central features of what social workers do. Do not be surprised to see the ASWB exam touching upon the topic.

For more reading about the effects of trauma, try:

• Understanding the Impact of Trauma (SAMHSA)
• Trauma, Attachment, and Stress Disorders
• The Effects of Trauma Do Not Have to Last a Lifetime (APA)