Grief
At what age can children experience the impacts of grief?
Children can show impacts of grief at as young as 2 years old. They may be too young to know the real meaning of death, but they are not too young to feel frightened, curious or insecure about the unusual comings and goings around them and will react to signs of stress around them.
Why are children put into foster care?
Children come into foster care because of abuse, neglect or dependency. Abuse, neglect, and dependency are caused by a variety of factors ranging from a parent’s illness to drug addiction, domestic violence or mental health concerns. Some children come from stressful situations where they have been abused physically, emotionally and or sexually. When the county Department of Social Services finds that a child cannot be cared for safely by their birth family they obtain permission from the court to take the child into custody and place them in foster care.
True or False: Domestic violence does not affect children.
False. Children who witness domestic violence are at serious risk for long-term physical and mental health problems and may also be at greater risk of being violent in their future relationships.
What is community violence?
Community violence is when people who are not closely related intentionally harm each other in public places. It can include assaults, fights, shootings, and bullying.
True or False: Kids will never truly feel better after they experience trauma.
False- Research shows that approximately 80% of children show significant improvement in symptoms after going through TF-CBT treatment
True or False: Grief looks different for everyone.
True - There is no "proper way" to grieve. Grief looks different for everyone and the time it takes to heal from it can differ for everyone as well.
What kind of emotions can children experience when they are taken away from their parents?
How many children in US witness domestic violence?
Between 3 and 10 million children witness domestic violence each year.
What percentage of children experience community violence?
96% of children have experienced some type of community violence.
What are some of the possible symptoms that a person might experience after a trauma?
anxiety, depression, irritability, emotional numbness, nightmares, unwanted memories of the event, negative thoughts, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite, physical pain, withdrawal from social activities or relationships, avoidance of memories associated with trauma, etc.
How does grief impact children?
Over 2.3 million children in the US live with nonparental caregivers.
What is domestic violence?
Domestic violence is when grownups in a relationship (like parents or couples) try to control each other through:
- Physically hurting
- Threats/ Intimidation
- Put downs
- Cutting the person off from friends and family
- Not taking responsibility for behavior
- Using the kids
- Not allowing the person to have money
How can having a family member in a gang affect children?
Children may have increased risk of violence and victimization, exposure to criminal activity and substance use, dysfunctional families and maltreatment, academic and behavioral problems, and mental health issues.
True or False: Trying to ignore symptoms/avoid trauma reminders works long-term to help a person heal from trauma.
False- trying to ignore symptoms/avoid trauma reminders might help a person cope in the short-term, but long-term, these avoidant behaviors often make things worse and make it much harder to heal from the trauma.
True or False: It is only grief if its a loved one you lose.
False - Grief can be from loved ones, animals, or material losses.
Is it okay to miss your biological parents?
Yes. It is totally normal for kids to miss their biological parents and feel some sense of grief and/or loss when they are taken from their parents.
What symptoms might children experience who have witnessed domestic violence?
Stomachaches, Headaches, Nightmares, Trouble eating, Trouble sleeping, Trouble with relationships, Jumpiness, Grumpiness (irritability)
What emotions might children feel who have experienced community violence?
Fear, helplessness, hopeless, sadness, anger, frustration, etc.
The ____ response is the name of the natural response that your body has to a perceived threat or stressor.
Fight or flight response/anxiety response
What are the 5 stages of grief?
1. Shock
2. Denial.
3. Anger
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
What percentage of children are reunited with their parents after foster care?
How can you tell if someone will be violent?
You can’t tell by looking at a person if they are going to be violent. BUT, if a person has hit once in a relationship, they are likely to do it again. The best predictor of how a person will act in the future is how they have acted in the past unless they have gotten help to change the behavior.
How many children have an incarcerated parent in the US?
Around 2.7 million children in the US have a parent in jail or prison.
What is complex trauma and how might it affect a person?
Complex trauma is when multiple traumatic events, often over a long period, such as ongoing abuse or neglect occurs. This type of trauma can deeply affect a person’s sense of self, relationships, and overall emotional well-being