Citation

Rollins JA. Crit. Care Nurs. Clin. North Am. 1997; 9(2): 211-220.

Affiliation

Georgetown University Medical Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9214889

Abstract

Child witnesses respond to violent events in two stages: an immediate reaction to the trauma followed by a response to the trauma and grief. The child's stage of development, circumstances surrounding the incident, and reactions of trusted adults affect responses. Secondary prevention measures during the first stage focus on protection and advocacy, while second stage interventions help the child acknowledge and tolerate the realities of the violent event. Child witnesses are at risk for posttraumatic stress disorder and other long-term social, emotional, and developmental problems. Individual characteristics, early life experiences, and protective factors in the environment contribute to children's resilience and ability to survive and grow into healthy adults.

Language: en