tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/post-trauma-40424/articlesPost trauma – The Conversation2023-05-09T11:56:06Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2040542023-05-09T11:56:06Z2023-05-09T11:56:06ZKidnapping in Nigeria: criminalising ransom payment isn’t working - families need support<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524076/original/file-20230503-176-5xqprb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Parents and relatives of students from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in Kaduna, who were kidnapped, hold placards during a demonstration in Abuja on May 4, 2021.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Kidnapping for ransom has become a national <a href="https://theconversation.com/whos-at-risk-of-being-kidnapped-in-nigeria-184217">security threat</a> in Nigeria. How it’s done varies from targeted individuals, to indiscriminate kidnappings and mass kidnapping in schools and communities.</p>
<p>And there has been a growing body of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2019.1628155">research</a> on the subject. However, there remains a gap in the understanding of how families mobilise resources and deliver ransom to kidnappers.</p>
<p>To fill this gap, my <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jude-Momodu">co-researcher</a> and I combined our expertise, mine on the <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oludayo-tade-244002">science of criminality and the victims of crime in Nigeria</a> and his on peace and conflict.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01639625.2023.2197548">study</a> interrogated the roles that families play in finding support and in raising ransom money and ensuring it is delivered to kidnappers to get their loved ones released from captivity.</p>
<p>This information is important to appreciate the experiences, challenges, and coping strategies of those with family members who have been kidnapped. It can help to design post traumatic therapy for victims who have been rescued, as well as those who are close to them, and who may have been traumatised by the kidnap incidence.</p>
<p>We concluded from our findings that the Nigerian government’s decision to <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/27/nigeria-outlaws-ransom-payments-abduction-punishable-by-death">criminalise</a> ransom payment by families missed the point because it fails to address the protection of potential victims. It should be revisited.</p>
<h2>The study</h2>
<p>Our study focused on the Adamawa State in northeast Nigeria, where at least <a href="https://www.blueprint.ng/kidnapping-adamawa-residents-abandon-homes/">300 people</a> were kidnapped in 2019. </p>
<p>We interviewed <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01639625.2023.2197548">12 people</a>, through referrals. The sample size is appropriate for a research of this nature due to the confidence building process required to secure participation from, already traumatised, families and friends of people who have been kidnapped. </p>
<p>The people we interviewed included ransom negotiators, a pastor of the church of one of the victims, two police officers from the Force Intelligence Bureau and a Divisional Police Officer, one State Security Service agent, two wives of kidnapped people and five released kidnapped persons.</p>
<p>Our study showed that ransom negotiators were either nominated by families or by the person kidnapped. Kidnappers used threats and the beating of captives to unsettle families and pressure them to raise ransoms.</p>
<p>Family members raised ransoms through family, church and community donations, and through loans. Wives of kidnapped persons coped with spiritual support from church, experiences of others who faced similar situation, and counselling from significant others. Below we outline some of the nuances of our findings.</p>
<h2>Finding support</h2>
<p>People’s experience varied according to the relationship they had with the victims. For those at the scene of the kidnapping, the emotions and trauma experienced was heightened. </p>
<p>Ill-health, age, and ability to withstand pressure also increased the burden on family. </p>
<p>Our participants unpacked the support mechanisms they used to strengthen and give hope to the immediate family of the kidnapped person. </p>
<p>The church was a pillar of support for some. Others turned to family members, friends and neighbours. Others took loans to pay for the release of their family members.</p>
<p>Friends and brothers risked their lives to negotiate with kidnappers as well as take the ransom to the den of kidnappers. </p>
<h2>What’s usually needed</h2>
<p>We found that organising for the release of the kidnapped involved the following:</p>
<p><strong>Support systems:</strong> The immediate family of the kidnapped person would need a support system. This included emotional support as well as ensuring that the family had food to eat. The church provided spiritual support.</p>
<p><strong>Ransom negotiation team:</strong> Selecting or nominating the ransom negotiator was done by a person in the kidnappers’ den or by the family. In some cases, those kidnapped would be asked to drop names of people who could bring ransom money to the kidnappers. </p>
<p>One kidnapping victim gave the name of his father because the father was already a retiree and could mobilise family members to rally round and raise any amount. One nominated his childhood friend. </p>
<p><strong>Role of religious leaders:</strong> Spiritual support was provided by the church (prayer and empathising with victim’s family members). Our sample did not include people of other religious persuasions.</p>
<p><strong>Fund raising:</strong> Negotiators reported that they eventually mobilised and paid between 271,232 Naira (US$651.49) and 1,807,104 Naira (US$4,343.29) ransom depending on how well they could bargain and how the family cooperated. They highlighted the need to ensure that a wrong signal was not sent to kidnappers about the financial capacity of the family to prevent future kidnapping. Negotiators faced a variety of pressures. They had to deal with the family of the victims, their own families and the kidnappers who would beat the victims in the middle of negotiations. </p>
<h2>What needs to be done</h2>
<p>The family and their religious and social groups are vital players in the processes leading to the freedom of the captive through ransom mobilisation and delivery. This shows that the African kinship tie is still very strong especially when a member is going through difficulty. </p>
<p>Victims of kidnapping need supportive, coordinated, and organised families not to only negotiate and mobilise ransom but to also manage and cooperate with the kidnappers to ensure a safe release and return. </p>
<p>There is also the need for a post-traumatic counselling for the freed kidnapped victim, their spouses and children. </p>
<p>We concluded that it’s important to provide policies that support families and victims of kidnapping. And that the government must revisit the ban on payment of ransoms. The real issue is to prevent kidnapping. The Nigerian Government must discharge its responsibility to protect to Nigerians.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204054/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Oludayo Tade does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A lot is said about kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria but little is known about how families mobilise resources and deliver ransom to kidnappers.Oludayo Tade, Sociologist/Criminologist/Victimologist and Media Communication Expert, University of IbadanLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2028252023-04-05T03:47:50Z2023-04-05T03:47:50ZNatural disasters take a toll on unborn babies – we need to support pregnant mums after Cyclone Gabrielle<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519450/original/file-20230405-20-672lhk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=147%2C36%2C8032%2C5420&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle have put the spotlight on how communities recover in the aftermath of widespread devastation. But future-proofing communities against the impact of these disasters needs to include measures to protect some of our most vulnerable people – pregnant women and their unborn babies. </p>
<p>What happens during pregnancy lays the <a href="https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2007.01809.x">foundation for child health and development</a>. Exposure to a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/16/8332">natural disaster</a> is no exception. </p>
<p>Years after the Christchurch earthquakes, <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/90619094/inutero-anxiety-from-christchurch-earthquakes-showing-up-at-school">teachers reported</a> behaviour and sleep difficulties in children who had experienced the devastation, including those who wern’t yet born on February 22, 2011. <a href="https://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/behavior-problems-and-post-traumatic-stress-symptoms-in-children-beginning-school-a-comparison-of-pre-and-post-earthquake-groups/">Research supports</a> these anecdotal reports: children exposed at a younger age and in-utero to the earthquakes displayed greater behaviour problems.</p>
<p>I was part of a <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/spiral/spiral/disasters">team examining</a> maternal and child wellbeing following the <a href="https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-015-0539-7">2011 Queensland floods</a>. My <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/11/1998">research</a> found toddlers whose mothers experienced greater hardship while pregnant due to the flooding tended to be more reactive and display emotional distress.</p>
<p>What’s more, these early behaviours were related to increased <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/development-and-psychopathology/article/role-of-prenatal-maternal-stress-in-the-development-of-childhood-anxiety-symptomatology-the-qf2011-queensland-flood-study/201171CED604DC6C7ABDE2232C8A4B88">symptoms of anxiety</a> at preschool age. These children also displayed <a href="https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/doi/10.1111/infa.12166">poorer cognitive development</a> as toddlers and <a href="https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/doi/10.1002/dev.21767">motor difficulties</a> through preschool. </p>
<p>Research on <a href="https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/141398/1/1-s2.0-S2212420918301559-main.pdf">tropical cyclones</a> in Australia and <a href="https://acamh-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/doi/10.1111/jcpp.13698">hurricanes</a> in North America shows similar findings. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pregnant-mothers-stress-during-floods-can-disadvantage-their-babies-but-its-not-inevitable-heres-what-we-can-do-right-now-157682">Pregnant mothers' stress during floods can disadvantage their babies, but it's not inevitable. Here's what we can do right now</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Babies in-utero at the time of <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/site/cdbgdr/about/About%20Hurricane%20Sandy.page">Hurricane Sandy</a> in the US had a five-fold increased risk of anxiety disorders, as well as greater likelihood of depression and attention behavioural disorders, when compared with babies who were not exposed to the disaster.</p>
<h2>The unseen cost of Cyclone Gabrielle</h2>
<p>These findings should not be ignored. During Cyclone Gabrielle, many New Zealanders including pregnant women, faced hardship – namely property damage and loss, and financial difficulties. Some pregnant women were left in <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/131260089/cyclone-gabrielle-the-quiet-heroes-who-answered-the-call-for-help">life-threatening situations</a> or <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/cyclone-gabrielle-pregnant-coromandel-woman-faces-three-hour-drive-to-birthing-unit/WWUDPGBBPZGJNOS4TIVG5FHVRM/">without easy access to antenatal care</a>. None expected to be hit by the disaster.</p>
<p>For the most part, the more hardship pregnant women face, the greater the immediate and post-traumatic <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-12497-002?doi=1">stress-like</a> symptoms they experience. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-81681-y">fetal brain</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453020301359?via%3Dihub">stress systems</a> may be particularly susceptible to pregnancy stress. It can also affect <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032720327361?via%3Dihub">maternal mood</a> for <a href="https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:234a6d8">years to come</a>.</p>
<p>Yet, even when a woman reports low levels of distress in the face of a disaster, exposure to hardship can <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-030-60159-1.pdf">affect child development</a>. Changes to <a href="https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/doi/full/10.1111/mcn.12359">nutrition</a>, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0013242">exercise</a>, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/23727322211068024">stress hormones</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8586067/">placental function</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763416307345?via%3Dihub">the immune system</a> may “get under the skin” of the unborn child. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1627338272635777025"}"></div></p>
<h2>Support now and in the future</h2>
<p>Now that the silt has settled after Cyclone Gabrielle, pregnant women and their unborn children must not be forgotten. </p>
<p>Pregnant women should be encouraged and supported to engage in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032719323420?via%3Dihub">emotion-focused coping strategies</a>. These can include the positive reframing of the situation, acceptance, humour and finding emotional support from others. This should then move to strategies focused on problem solving – such as actively planning for the future, taking action to clean up, and seeking help from government and non-governmental agencies. </p>
<p>Trying to find the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032720327361">positives</a> from the situation can help lower a woman’s distress. But <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/unexpected-effects-of-expressive-writing-on-postdisaster-distress-in-the-hurricane-harvey-study-a-randomized-controlled-trial-in-perinatal-women/553B6CB95ECBBD97D185C104A02A5F03">writing</a> out deep thoughts and feelings about what has happened may not help and, at the very least, should be <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2669771">supported by clinicians</a>. </p>
<p>We should also mobilise existing infrastructure to help the pregnant women to better “weather the storm” of enduring hardship and distress in the months and years to come. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1376670578350903298"}"></div></p>
<h2>Support for midwives</h2>
<p>In New Zealand <a href="https://www.midwife.org.nz/midwives/publications/college-journal/">nearly all women have a midwife</a> as their lead maternity carer from pregnancy through the postnatal period. Receiving maternity care from the same midwifery team across the perinatal period benefits a mother’s <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/projetverglas/files/projetverglas/10.1007-s00737-017-0781-2.pdf">postnatal wellbeing </a> and their <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30053853/">infant’s neurodevelopment</a> in the face of a disaster by providing continued social support.</p>
<p>During Cyclone Gabrielle, midwives went <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/cyclone-gabrielle-midwives-mucking-in-from-out-of-region-to-help-hawkes-bay-mama-and-pepi/RDBHG3WMDZG7BLAYM5TZ22VPZM/#:%7E:text=Mary%2DRose%20Jenkins%2C%20Nina%20Narain,locum%20midwives%20after%20Cyclone%20Gabrielle">above and beyond</a> to continue to provide support for women, no matter how remotely they lived. But we shouldn’t be relying on midwives putting themselves <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300810853/the-midwife-who-hiked-through-slips-and-debris-to-get-supplies-to-a-pregnant-mum">in danger</a> to help those in need. </p>
<p>Midwives need to be <a href="https://www.health.govt.nz/publication/identification-common-mental-disorders-and-management-depression-primary-care">supported</a> in identifying, supporting and referring at-risk women. We also simply <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/130365836/midwife-vacancy-rate-almost-25-for-health-nz-workforce#:%7E:text=There%20is%20almost%20a%2025,conditions%20could%20worsen%20over%20summer">need more midwives</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pregnant-womens-brains-show-troubling-signs-of-stress-but-feeling-strong-social-support-can-break-those-patterns-145918">Pregnant women's brains show troubling signs of stress – but feeling strong social support can break those patterns</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Pregnant women need to be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0266613818303383?via%3Dihub">screened</a> and monitored for post-traumatic symptoms, anxiety and depression across the perinatal period. Those experiencing continued distress need <a href="https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/whats-happening/work-underway/maternity/national-maternity-monitoring-group">equitable</a> access to appropriate mental health services.</p>
<p>Early childhood, a period of incredible brain maturation, also offers opportunities for improving child outcomes. Positive parent <a href="https://acamh-onlinelibrary-wiley-com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/doi/10.1111/jcpp.12704">mental health</a> and sensitive, structured parenting behaviours have been shown to improve child <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163638317300103">cognition, language</a>, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163638317300103">behaviour</a>.</p>
<p>A possible next step is the targeted delivery of <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0005-7967(17)30121-3">parent-led interventions</a> that promote such behaviours through existing services including <a href="https://www.plunket.org.nz/plunket/what-we-offer/plunketline/#:%7E:text=Call%200800%20933%20922%20for,Plunket%20client%20to%20use%20PlunketLine.">Plunket</a>. <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/canterbury-earthquakes-kids-born-after-disaster-inheriting-trauma-from-parents-through-dna-schools-dealing-with-more-behaviour-issues/WHB64ZYYZ7UV2WCSHWNJOSFCS4/">Government support</a> for child mental health initiatives, like that provided following the earthquakes, is needed in areas hit by the cyclone.</p>
<p>With New Zealand <a href="https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/engineering/Docs/0122.pdf">predicted</a> to experience an <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/new-zealand-floods-cyclone-gabrielle">increasing number of extreme weather events</a> in the next decade, it is critical we take stock, listen and act on this research – not just for those exposed to Cyclone Gabrielle, but for those who will inevitably be affected when the next disaster strikes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/202825/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mia Mclean received funding from Australian Government, Australian Postgraduate Award. </span></em></p>Recovery efforts in regions hit by Cyclone Gabrielle need to ensure support and care is provided to pregnant mums to prevent life-long consequences for babies in-utero.Mia Mclean, Senior lecturer, Auckland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1883122022-08-12T15:21:55Z2022-08-12T15:21:55ZHow trauma survivors can harness spiritual contemplation to process stress - new research<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477845/original/file-20220805-25-bgs7l8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=47%2C41%2C3946%2C2616&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/comfort-zone-concept-feet-standing-inside-461741035">WindNight/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/educational-resources/dsm-5-fact-sheets">Trauma</a>, such as surviving or witnessing road accidents, natural disasters and violence, can shake up our lives, challenging our core beliefs and views of the world.</p>
<p>But this upheaval can also trigger what’s known as “<a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0024204">post-traumatic growth</a>” in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327965pli1501_01">different aspects</a> of our lives. This can mean** a greater appreciation for life, seeing new opportunities, a deeper sense of personal resilience or strengthened relationships. </p>
<p>My team was interested in what things can help us have post-traumatic growth. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0272036">Our recent study</a> found spiritual (but not necessarily religious) practices, such as pondering how life experiences relate to our understanding of who we are and our place in the world, encourages the sort of contemplation that helps process trauma. </p>
<p>But we also found that spirituality didn’t reduce the likelihood of experiencing stressful effects from trauma. And the amount of time that had elapsed had no bearing on post-traumatic growth in our study. Simply waiting for time to pass did not result in personal growth. In short, it’s not time that heals, but how you use time. </p>
<p>To process the shock of trauma, we often think about the distressing events again and again. And there are two types of such repetitive thinking. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10615806.2010.529901">Intrusive rumination</a> is involuntary and unwanted reactions like nightmares or flashbacks. These are symptoms of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000579670900014X?via%3Dihub">post-traumatic stress disorder</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10615806.2010.529901">Deliberate rumination</a> is when we think about trauma on purpose to find meaning in what happened to us. This is where spirituality can come in.</p>
<h2>A frame of mind</h2>
<p><a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0117701">Spirituality</a> is about exploring who we are and how we relate to ourselves and others. It <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00221325.1996.9914878">can help people think</a> about experiences in a way that feels safe and structured.</p>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jclp.1026">Other researchers have previously found</a> people who are more spiritual (but not necessarily religious) experience less distress after trauma. We thought this could be because people who have spiritual beliefs tend to explore their core beliefs in response to changing life circumstances. In other words, because spiritual practice involves a lot of deliberate rumination. </p>
<p>We ran an online study in 2017 for our recently published research, asking participants about trauma, growth and spirituality. Ninety-six adults who experienced a traumatic event after the age of 16 but not in the last four months took part. The events included serious accidents, illness, sexual assault and natural disasters.</p>
<p>We found that the more participants engaged with deliberate rumination, the more post-traumatic growth they experienced. This was especially true for those who had high or moderate levels of spiritual beliefs. The link between deliberate rumination and growth was stronger for people with average to high levels of spirituality. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman sits alone barefoot on the floor" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477852/original/file-20220805-23-zmgzss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/477852/original/file-20220805-23-zmgzss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477852/original/file-20220805-23-zmgzss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477852/original/file-20220805-23-zmgzss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477852/original/file-20220805-23-zmgzss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477852/original/file-20220805-23-zmgzss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/477852/original/file-20220805-23-zmgzss.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Trauma can be debilitating.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-troubled-black-girl-negative-feelings-1403634038">tommaso79/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>There is hope</h2>
<p>Probing our beliefs about who we are and what matters to us before and after trauma helps rebuild our personal security. This is the kind of deliberate rumination people with spiritual philosophies build into the fabric of their lives and practice, perhaps every day. </p>
<p>They expect to have their beliefs shaken every once in a while and use contemplation to deal with the fallout. Processing trauma helps us <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01335/full">make sense</a> of it, which reduces <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioural-and-cognitive-psychotherapy/article/maintenance-of-intrusive-memories-in-posttraumatic-stress-disorder-a-cognitive-approach/821B4E100BB874A31D796416DDDA8536">fear and avoidance</a> of things that remind us of what happened. </p>
<p>Our conclusion is that people who rate spirituality as important to them could harness those beliefs to set in motion the process for <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Transformation+of+Meaning+in+Psychological+Therapies%3A+Integrating+Theory+and+Practice-p-9780471970057">deliberate rumination</a>. This could be because they feel supported by a spiritual community that lessens isolation or grief. They routinely practice forgiveness, relaxation, reflection or meditation practices.</p>
<p>It is hard to measure something like the strength of someone’s spirituality, but it is important that we find ways to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/153476560100700303">measure value and belief systems</a> in a scientific way if we want to understand the human experience. That is, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20655136/">what helps us stay well and thrive, not just what makes us distressed.</a></p>
<p>We can explore and find meaning in our experiences, finding positives in the distressing aftermath of trauma. You don’t need spiritual beliefs to benefit from aspects of spirituality such as <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2003-03824-002">acceptance</a> that help us move on. No one should have to go through trauma. You may never be the same afterwards but post-traumatic growth can transform us.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/188312/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catrin Eames does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Thinking about who you are and your purpose can help you move on from trauma.Catrin Eames, Reader in Psychology , Liverpool John Moores UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1040982018-10-01T10:37:37Z2018-10-01T10:37:37ZWe provided psychological first aid after the Las Vegas shooting – here’s what we learned<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238505/original/file-20180928-48631-1uj3rr1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Evacuees arrive at the UNLV Thomas & Mack Center after a gunman opened fire Oct. 1, 2017 in Las Vegas.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Las-Vegas-Shooting/5a1657648bdc48d3a5ffe6a8f939f72f/2/0">Al Powers/AP</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Editors’ note: In the aftermath of the Oct. 1, 2017 <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/10/06/here-all-victims-las-vegas-shooting/733236001/">shooting massacre</a> that claimed the lives of 58 people, several psychology and counseling scholars at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas sprang into action to offer trauma counseling to victims and witnesses of the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2013/09/16/us/20-deadliest-mass-shootings-in-u-s-history-fast-facts/index.html">deadliest mass shooting</a> in recent U.S. history. The UNLV scholars helped provide aid and comfort to <a href="https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/hundreds-gather-campus-candlelight-vigil">hundreds of evacuees</a>, mostly noninjured, who were driven by bus from the strip to the UNLV Thomas & Mack Center soon after the shooting. The Conversation recently connected with those scholars to hear what they learned from the experience.</em></p>
<p><strong>What is “psychological first aid”? How do mental health experts like you work side by side with traditional first responders?</strong></p>
<p>The goal of <a href="https://www.nctsn.org/resources/psychological-first-aid-pfa-field-operations-guide-2nd-edition">psychological first aid</a> is to sooth, assist and help people function and cope in a healthy way in the wake of a traumatic event. </p>
<p>It’s employed in the hours and days following the event, when people’s immediate needs, including medical care, as well as basic needs like food, shelter and water, must be met, along with their psychological and physical safety needs.</p>
<p>The point is not to push people to express emotion or describe in detail what they experienced. Rather, mental health professionals can help first responders by offering survivors practical assistance, comfort, safety, good compassionate company and emotional support.</p>
<p>For example, in the hours following the Oct. 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas, nonwounded victims and evacuees from the Strip needed basic things: blankets to cut the chill of the evening hours and psychological shock, cellphone chargers so they could stay in touch with loved ones, rides home and reliable news updates to reduce chaos and control rumors. By helping provide these simple needs, our team of mental health professionals was able to free up first responders and law enforcement to do their jobs.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238504/original/file-20180928-48647-1yishn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238504/original/file-20180928-48647-1yishn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238504/original/file-20180928-48647-1yishn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238504/original/file-20180928-48647-1yishn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238504/original/file-20180928-48647-1yishn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238504/original/file-20180928-48647-1yishn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238504/original/file-20180928-48647-1yishn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Police run toward the scene of the Oct. 1, 2017 shooting near the Mandalay Bay resort and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Las-Vegas-Shooting/712f54b9ef2548d1aaf427b517783224/46/0">John Locher/AP</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>What tools and treatments can mental health clinicians offer in the wake of this kind of almost unimaginable tragedy?</strong></p>
<p>In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, people needed to know how this stressful event would affect them. For example, potential effects may have included trouble sleeping, increased nervousness or feeling easily upset or agitated.</p>
<p>People also needed guidance to pursue healthy coping strategies. They needed to know where to find support services then and in the future, as well as information regarding the signs that someone might need a higher level of professional care. Such signs include persistent anxiety.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, we heard from victims who were initially given ill-informed treatment by poorly trained providers. Some were “debriefed” in a group setting for hours, encouraged to share their stories and describe the trauma in detail. As psychology and counseling researchers, we know this <a href="https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/trauma/disaster-terrorism/debriefing-after-disasters.asp">outdated treatment approach</a> is harmful and can retraumatize people who are already vulnerable and hypersensitive.</p>
<p>In the days, weeks and months after an event like this shooting, people are often hyperaroused – that is, in a ramped-up jittery state – and hypervigilant – that is, overly aware and reactive to everything in their environment. They’re expecting danger and feeling unsafe, fearful, angry or distressed. Others may keep thinking about the traumatic event. Memories of the event can intrude on their day. They may have difficulty sleeping because the memories keep running through their mind. Or they may have nightmares. Others may experience emotional numbing or avoidance.</p>
<p>We helped victims build resilience skills such as problem-solving and engaging in positive activities, like spending quality time with loved ones and participating in activities that they enjoy. We educated people on how to manage emotional and physical reactions through things such as breathing exercises or identifying and planning for triggers. Mental health professionals also promote helpful thinking and identify opportunities for establishing a sense of community and belonging. Perhaps more importantly, professionals trained in psychological first aid are prepared to identify and assist those who won’t recover on their own.</p>
<p>When the skills-building approach isn’t enough, mental health professionals know how to identify those who will need a higher level of care.</p>
<p><strong>What did you learn in the heat of disaster response that’s applicable now a year later and on into the future in terms of mental health?</strong></p>
<p>Different people need different things. Some of the people we worked with following the Oct. 1 shooting needed to talk. Some needed to sit quietly. Some needed to get busy and find something to do to feel helpful. Some needed to take a day to themselves. There are typical human stress responses to an abnormal event, but there is no one prescribed journey toward healing.</p>
<p>We also know that people are naturally wired to <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-the-name-love/201403/why-we-all-need-belong-someone">need a sense of belonging and human connection</a>. And, in this sense, personal and community healing go hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104098/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Paul is the Director of The PRACTICE: A UNLV Community Mental Health Training Clinic, housed on and sponsored by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Heather Dahl, John A. Nixon, and Noelle Lefforge do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>One year after the Oct. 1 shooting massacre in Las Vegas, a team of scholars from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas offers insights into how to best help those affected by the violence.Michelle Paul, Associate Faculty-in-Residence in Psychology, University of Nevada, Las VegasHeather Dahl, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Counselor Education, School Psychology, and Human Services, University of Nevada, Las VegasJohn A. Nixon, Assistant Professor-in-Residence of Counselor Education and Assistant Director of Clinical Services, The PRACTICE, University of Nevada, Las VegasNoelle Lefforge, Assistant Professor-in-Residence in Psychology and Assistant Director of Clinical Services and Research at The PRACTICE, University of Nevada, Las VegasLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/895462018-04-11T10:51:41Z2018-04-11T10:51:41ZHow parents can support children after traumatic events<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/213418/original/file-20180405-189821-gyl8hk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sad-lonely-black-girl-feeling-depressed-603769481?src=WKm_xcusiGnZkHA_XNnbnQ-1-0">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many children will be exposed to a traumatic situation – where there is a threat to life or serious injury – at some point in their childhood. Such events can range from serious road or sporting accidents, to experiences of violence or abuse. They may be experienced directly by the child, or indirectly, where the child witnesses harm to someone else. </p>
<p>In the aftermath of a traumatic event, the focus is often, understandably, on the child’s physical well-being and safety. However, <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/104/6/1293.short?sso=1&sso_redirect_count=1&nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token">research</a> has now shown that such experiences can also have a substantial impact on children’s psychological well-being – regardless of whether or not they were physically injured. </p>
<p>One psychological problem that can arise following trauma exposure is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is characterised by a range of symptoms, including intrusive memories of the trauma, such as nightmares or flashbacks, and avoidance of people, places or things that are related to it. There may also be intense experiences of agitation, including sleep difficulties, or being easily startled, and feelings of intense anger, low mood, or vulnerability</p>
<p>PTSD symptoms can be quite common in the weeks after a traumatic event, and may be part of normal recovery. However, if children still have significant symptoms beyond three to six months, their PTSD is <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jcpp.12566">likely to be persistent</a> and need psychological intervention. Currently, around <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/d421/0bcfb6a5b278749fe909f089616160b5a6bf.pdf">10-20% of young people are estimated</a> to experience persistent PTSD after exposure to a single incident of trauma.</p>
<p>When you consider the large number of children and teens involved in serious accidental injuries each year (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/ras30-reported-casualties-in-road-accidents#table-ras30028">thousands are affected</a> by road accidents alone) this means many young people may be suffering from PTSD. Understanding how we can help them to achieve better psychological outcomes is an important goal. </p>
<h2>Parental influence</h2>
<p>One key factor associated with better psychological recovery is the extent to which people feel supported by those around them. For children, parents are often the key source of support – yet they can feel unsure about the best way to respond to their child’s psychological needs. </p>
<p>Understandably, parents have concerns about their child being harmed in the future, and may feel a need to provide extra care and protection. They may try to keep their child away from situations that might remind them of their traumatic experience. On top of this, parents are often managing their own distress relating to their child’s trauma, even if they weren’t involved themselves. </p>
<p>In a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jcpp.12846">recent study</a> of children following exposure to a single trauma, we examined how their parents’ response affected the child’s psychological recovery over a six-month period. </p>
<p>We found that parents being extremely focused on threat and vulnerability was associated with poorer recovery of child PTSD symptoms. This included using strongly negative language (for example “You could have died,” or “I don’t think we’ll ever be the same”) when discussing the trauma with their child. </p>
<p>It is important for parents to talk to their child about their thoughts and feelings after traumatic events. But being overly focused on how unsafe or vulnerable the child was, on blame, or on how much the event has negatively changed the child, can mean children then develop their own heightened sense of being very vulnerable or unsafe. This can impede their recovery. </p>
<p>Another problem came from parents encouraging children to avoid things that might remind them of the event and cause distress. For example, discouraging children from going bike riding if their trauma was a bike accident, or avoiding the place where the accident occurred. Where parents said that they encouraged avoidance in this way, children were more likely to have persistent PTSD symptoms six months later. Again, a tendency for children to adopt their parents’ responses seems to partially explain this link. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/214122/original/file-20180410-566-myuwn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/214122/original/file-20180410-566-myuwn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/214122/original/file-20180410-566-myuwn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/214122/original/file-20180410-566-myuwn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=436&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/214122/original/file-20180410-566-myuwn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/214122/original/file-20180410-566-myuwn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/214122/original/file-20180410-566-myuwn0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=548&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Time to talk.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/black-white-portrait-sad-little-girl-89719258?src=N-ZnLiO7qNkWDHcWPOD-SQ-1-47">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Overall, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2011.01328.x">evidence suggests</a> that post-trauma, children may model their coping style, at least in part, on how their parent responds. And some parental responses, despite being a natural reaction to a highly distressing experience, may actually maintain child PTSD symptoms. </p>
<p>This research is part of a growing body of evidence which suggests that parents play an important role in supporting their child to overcome the potential psychological consequences of trauma exposure. Of course, multiple factors can influence post-trauma distress, and even with the best possible support systems children may go on to develop PTSD and require professional support. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, focus is urgently needed on working out how to help parents provide the best kind of support. Working with hospital emergency departments and other services providing care for children exposed to trauma would help to set out such guidance – and help parents feel confident about the best ways to support their child’s psychological recovery.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89546/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Hiller receives funding from the economic and social research council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Halligan receives funding from organisations including the ESRC, MRC, Academy of Medical Sciences, Nuffield Foundation, NIHR.</span></em></p>10-20% of young people are estimated to experience persistent PTSD after exposure to a single incident of trauma.Rachel Hiller, Prize Research Fellow in Developmental Psychopathology, University of BathSarah Halligan, Professor of Child and Family Mental Health, University of BathLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/936472018-03-22T00:31:14Z2018-03-22T00:31:14ZAfter the firestorm: the health implications of returning to a bushfire zone<p>Australia has a long history of bushfire disasters. The loss of almost 70 homes in <a href="http://www.afr.com/news/tathra-fire-70-homes-lost-in-nsw-coastal-town-bushfire-20180319-h0xo0u">Tathra, New South Wales</a>, and 18 homes in <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-20/vic-bushfire-on-the-fireground-in-south-western-victoria/9564762">southwest Victoria</a> this week has again reminded us of the risks and huge personal costs of living in a fire-prone country. The risk is increasing as fires the world over are <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-016-0058">expanding in every dimension</a> – in their timing, with extended seasons of favourable fire weather, frequency and severity. </p>
<p>Emergency services, communications and community support during fire disasters have become increasingly sophisticated to meet these growing challenges. An often overlooked aspect of bushfire management is post-fire risk. Many people will be returning to uncertainty. They will need to evaluate the immediate impacts on their homes and property, and the implications for their future. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/smoke-from-bushfires-poses-a-health-hazard-for-all-of-us-11493">Smoke from bushfires poses a health hazard for all of us</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>After the firestorm has passed, the <a href="http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/publichealth/alerts/standing_health_alerts/returning_home_after_a_bushfire">risks to health</a> remain. These include physical and chemical hazards associated with damaged structures, contaminated air, food and water, and the well-documented <a href="https://beyondbushfires.org.au/">risks to mental health</a> and well-being.</p>
<h2>Preparing to return</h2>
<p>There are many potential hazards in burnt properties. Returning requires caution and preparation. </p>
<p>It is important to check if the relevant emergency services have declared an area safe enough to allow residents to return and to seek guidance. Most jurisdictions provide resources relevant to their area. The Western Australian Department of Fires and Emergency Services provides particularly <a href="https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/safetyinformation/fire/bushfire/pages/afterabushfire.aspx">comprehensive information</a>. </p>
<p>When entering a fire-affected property for the first time, use a face mask and wear protective clothing, including sturdy footwear, heavy-duty gloves, overalls with long sleeves and trousers – preferably disposable. The best face masks to use are “P2” masks, available from hardware stores. Ordinary paper dust masks, handkerchiefs or bandanas do not filter out the very fine ash and dust particles or hazards such as asbestos fibres. Bring plastic bags big enough to contain dirty clothing, which should be removed before entering a vehicle.</p>
<h2>Checking for hazards</h2>
<p>The list of potential hazards includes falling trees, branches and live power lines. Leaking gas may produce an odour or a hissing noise. Septic tanks can be damaged, leak sewage or collapse. The tank covers are at ground level and might not be visible. </p>
<p>Hot embers and smouldering vegetation can be present and ignite further fires. If there is a risk of major structural damage to buildings, a building inspector should check these before entry. </p>
<p>Fires can release potential toxins from some building materials. For example, ash from CCA-treated wood, commonly used in decking, fencing and landscaping, is harmful and skin contact and inhalation should be avoided. It is recognisable as green-coloured ash. </p>
<p>Houses built before 1990 might have asbestos cement sheeting and exposure to asbestos fibres can occur if people actively disturb ashes. If asbestos is likely to be present, a licensed asbestos removalist must do the clean-up work.</p>
<p>Other hazards can come from gas cylinders, garden chemicals, cleaning products and other burnt residues.</p>
<h2>Air quality</h2>
<p>Smoke might be present in the area from the recent fires or local smouldering debris. Smoke is toxic and can <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2017/207/6/understanding-and-managing-health-impacts-poor-air-quality-landscape-fires">worsen heart and lung problems</a> for some people. Those most at risk are children including unborn babies, the elderly, smokers and people with heart and lung diseases, including asthma. </p>
<p>Portable generators are another source of air pollution. These should always be used in well-ventilated areas to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.</p>
<h2>Food and water safety</h2>
<p>Houses, regardless of whether they were damaged by fire, are likely to have had a period without power. Once cold or frozen food has warmed or thawed, it should be thrown out. Food, drinks or medicines that have been exposed to heat, smoke and water damage are also no longer safe for consumption. </p>
<p>If rainwater tanks are intact and the water has no abnormal look, smells or taste, the water should be safe to use, although it’s wise to boil untreated water. However, if firefighting foams or animal carcasses have contaminated water in a tank it should be drained and refilled with clean water. It’s also important to clear the house roof of carcasses or other contaminants that could end up in rainwater tanks.</p>
<h2>Personal impacts</h2>
<p>The psychological trauma of experiencing a fire can be overwhelming for adults and children alike. It is possible they are grieving for a spectrum of losses, including friends and neighbours, pets and livestock that have been killed or injured in the fire, loss of treasured personal effects and even the
wider sense of loss of place that has been called <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-age-%20of-%20solastalgia-8337">solastalgia</a>. </p>
<p>While most people do recover from the traumatic experience, the emotional toll can be serious and long lasting for some, with symptoms such as depression, anxiety, anger, fatigue, nightmares and difficulty concentrating. It is possible that people are no longer able to live in surrounds they once cherished and must move away. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-age-of-solastalgia-8337">The age of solastalgia</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The onset of mental health issues can sometimes be <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0004867414534476">delayed</a> months and even years after the event. <a href="https://beyondbushfires.org.au/resources/help">Help</a> from a counsellor or family doctor can manage and reduce these impacts. Involvement in community activities and social connections can help promote
resilience and be protective. </p>
<p>It is important to note that post-traumatic stress has a more positive counterpart, post-traumatic growth, and it is possible that individuals and communities can become stronger and more resilient as a consequence of rebuilding and recovery following a bushfire. </p>
<p>Prompt rebuilding of community centres and restoration of community services and activities are keys to helping individuals and communities recover. For this reason firefighters will prioritise protection of community assets.</p>
<h2>Community support vital</h2>
<p>Returning to fire-affected areas can be hazardous and traumatic. Residents should be prepared and equipped for protection from potential hazards, and seek advice from appropriate authorities such as emergency services, local councils and public health agencies. </p>
<p>Ongoing social connections and community support are essential for reducing the personal and psychological impacts. This support needs to continue long after the disaster has been forgotten by the news media. </p>
<p>In the affected communities in NSW and Victoria, this work has already begun. Community meetings are taking place to start the process of support that will be crucial in the long journey of rebuilding lives and communities. </p>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93647/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fay Johnston does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In NSW and Victoria this week, communities were hit by bushfires. Long after such devastating fires pass, the risks to physical and mental health remain.Fay Johnston, Associate Professor, Environmental Epidemiology, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania., University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/880902017-11-30T08:19:53Z2017-11-30T08:19:53ZHow to help children recover from the trauma of disaster<p>In any culture, children hit by a natural disaster will see family members undergo huge amounts of stress and worry. They may be forced to live in temporary accommodation, and experience many changes to their usual routines and social circles. And on top of all this, many treasured possessions – including family pets – may be lost or damaged forever.</p>
<p>For many children, this can result in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2007/dec/16/mentalhealth.children">high levels of anxiety and emotional trauma</a>. This can inevitably lead to changes in a child’s behaviour, and may include things <a href="http://nctsn.org/trauma-types/natural-disasters/floods#q3">such as temper tantrums, insomnia, a loss of appetite and social withdrawal</a>. </p>
<p>With any type of disaster – be it flooding, an earthquake, an avalanche, or a tsunami – it is essential that families and those in regular contact with children offer support and a place to heal in the aftermath of these terrible events.</p>
<h2>1. Encourage children to talk</h2>
<p>Children who have been victims of flooding often say that their families and schools <a href="http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/cuidar/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Children-Young-People-and-Flooding-Final-Report.pdf">didn’t listen to their experiences</a>, worries or problems. They also say that they didn’t want to burden their family and teachers with these worries. </p>
<p>Even if your child seems fine, let them know that their feelings are important to you and let their voice be heard. When children do get a chance to speak about their own feelings and experiences they often recover much more quickly. </p>
<p>It’s important parents try to spend time with their children in this period – playing games and enjoying each other’s company. Parents should also talk to their children’s teachers and keep them up to date and aware of their child’s experiences.</p>
<h2>2. Involve kids in the cleanup</h2>
<p>My PhD research looks specifically at flooding, and community responses during and after floods. Previous <a href="http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/cuidar/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Children-Young-People-and-Flooding-Final-Report.pdf">research on flooding shows</a> that children who are involved in the cleanup and recovery process, have a much better sense of the situation and experience less trauma. This doesn’t have to be big tasks – just whatever you think your child is capable of. </p>
<p>Help doesn’t have to stay within the family home either, by involving your child within the community cleanup, they can cancel out the negative feelings associated with the flood and instead replace them with positive feelings of community spirit and worthiness. </p>
<h2>3. Know that they might struggle</h2>
<p>Monitor your <a href="http://nctsn.org/trauma-types/natural-disasters/floods#q3">child’s behaviour</a> and keep a close eye on them to check if they are acting differently. Try not to criticise your child for any changes in behaviour and instead talk to them about their feelings and thoughts about what has happened. </p>
<p>It’s also important to monitor your own behaviour and the adult conversations that take place around your child. Remember you are your child’s guide through this and so your ability to stay calm and cope will affect your child’s ability to manage too. Try not to say anything that might scare your child. You can be a role model by acknowledging that the situation isn’t great right now, but the future is positive and bright. </p>
<p>Let them know that they are safe and you love them. Reassure them not only of their safety, but of their friend’s safety too – you might say something like “your friend’s families will be taking care of them just like your family are taking care of you”. </p>
<h2>4. Give kids the facts</h2>
<p>If it’s happened once, there is every chance it could happen again. You may need to educate yourself a bit first, but teach your child about the causes of natural disasters such as flooding. This should include the dos and don'ts during a flood, as well as the ways you can protect yourselves as a family in the future. Perhaps you could work together to develop a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/444659/LIT_4112.pdf">household plan</a> should something like this happen again.</p>
<h2>5. Try to create a routine and stick to it</h2>
<p>Try to <a href="http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lec/sites/cswm/hullchildrensfloodproject/EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.pdf">maintain as much routine in your child’s life as possible</a>. This might be hard if you have to move to temporary accommodation or if their school closes, but by maintaining the aspects of routine that you can control – like meal and bed times – you can provide a higher sense of reassurance. This will help reduce any anxiety your child might be feeling. It will also help with any boredom they might face – caused by loss of toys or school closure. In this way, try to keep your child in touch with friends, particularly if their school shuts or if they (or a friend) moves away.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88090/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Florence Halstead receives funding from NERC - Newton Fund</span></em></p>Floods and natural disasters can be highly traumatic for children.Florence Halstead, PhD Researcher in Human Geography, University of HullLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/822662017-08-17T16:32:00Z2017-08-17T16:32:00ZKenya’s post-election violence: the harm that’s been done to children<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/182387/original/file-20170817-13487-15t6lns.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A child's exposure to violence can lead to lasting physical, mental, and emotional harm.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Georgina Cranston/Reuters</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Kenya’s recent general election was held amid <a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/Death-chaos-police-protesters-clash/1064-4055228-v8gacf/index.html">political tension and fear</a>. Election violence is not new to the East African country. About <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953615000593">1,100 people</a>, including children, died in the events that followed the election in 2007. </p>
<p>This time, opposition candidate Raila Odinga immediately disputed the victory of <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001251082/iebc-gazettes-president-uhuru-s-re-election">Uhuru Kenyatta</a> as president. This has led to killings, injuries and loss of property in <a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/Death-chaos-police-protesters-clash/1064-4055228-v8gacf/index.html">post-election protests </a> in the capital and elsewhere. <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001251133/nine-year-old-killed-by-stray-police-bullet-in-mathare">Two children</a> were reportedly among the <a href="http://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/life/baby-pendo-succumbs-injuries/">casualties</a>.</p>
<p>A climate of fear and uncertainty can trigger psychological distress for all people. However, children are more vulnerable because graphic images shape their developing brains, leaving effects that last into <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3869039/">adolescence and adulthood</a>.</p>
<p>Children are exposed to violence on television and other media platforms. They can also witness violence or even death in their families or neighbourhoods. </p>
<p>This can cause lasting <a href="https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/227744.pdf">physical, mental and emotional</a> harm. The <a href="https://www.childtrends.org/indicators/childrens-exposure-to-violence/">short and long term psychological effects</a> include behavioural and emotional symptoms like fear, aggression, irregular sleep patterns, disturbed play and learning difficulties.</p>
<p>For those Kenyans who experienced the 2007/2008 <a href="http://www.nation.co.ke/news/politics/Kenya-since-post-election-violence-/1064-4046876-12j38pyz/index.html">post-election violence</a> as children, the media messages of anxiety and calls for peace may bring back their worst memories. They could become anxious whenever elections take place.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/psychological-effects-of-war-and-violence-on-children-jpab-S1-e001.php?aid=68333">Studies</a> show that the effect of violence on a child’s future psychological well-being depends on their age, coping mechanisms, and cognitive and verbal abilities.</p>
<h2>Behaviour changes</h2>
<p>People interpret traumatic events differently, according to their age and socialisation. Children have <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10578-016-0626-7">immature mental processes</a> which could misinterpret events and trigger trauma related conditions unless they get psychological support. </p>
<p>Violence negatively affects a child’s interactions. A child interacts with family members, peers, schoolmates, neighbours and other groups. A break in these connections interferes with a child’s normal development.</p>
<p>Children often internalise their fear. They may feel anxious, depressed or stressed. Some act out and become more aggressive. They may consider <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0886260515584337">acts of violence </a> as normal.</p>
<p>Boys are more likely to be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2829725/">more aggressive</a>, impulsive or antisocial than girls when exposed to violence.<a href="http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/08/mental-illness.aspx">Studies</a> have shown that girls tend to internalise emotions as anxiety and depression.</p>
<p>Persistent and excessive fear of losing a caregiver in an accident or disaster is a common reaction to trauma. The child becomes restless and does not want to be separated from the caregiver.</p>
<p>Some children will cry frequently, become sad or have poor concentration and decreased interest in social activities unless a guardian is present. They may become tense or restless and constantly worry that something bad will take place.</p>
<p>They may have nightmares or re-enact traumatic events when playing. Other symptoms include irritability and startled reactions. This can impair cognitive and social functioning and lead to poor school performance.</p>
<p>In adulthood, they may become dependent and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2752426/">over-protective </a>of their loved ones. Their behaviour may cause conflict in some families.</p>
<h2>Coping with the effects of violence and fear</h2>
<p>Children <a href="http://jmlewisfoundation.org/family_process_riggs_article.pdf">feel more secure</a>when there is less conflict in the family and community. </p>
<p>Effects of violence are treatable through individual therapy or group therapy. <a href="http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/182378">Studies</a> in Indonesia show that affected children were helped by counselling programmes at school, where they expressed their fears. They learnt coping techniques to apply when faced with fear. </p>
<h2>Way forward</h2>
<p>Adults should restrict children’s access to media channels that broadcast violence. Media policies should reflect an understanding that children can be harmed by what they see and hear.</p>
<p>Experts like psychologists should help make the public aware of the impact of violence. They can also provide referrals for affected children. </p>
<p>Schools and communities should offer therapy to help children affected by violence. For example, children can learn to express themselves emotionally through co-operative play. Schools can also teach children that the differences between politicians are not personal but based on issues.</p>
<p>Parents should know that children cope better when they feel they are securely attached to their families.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82266/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s important to understand the nature and extent of children’s exposure to violence during general elections so they can be protected.Winnie Waiyaki, Lecturer, department of Psychology, Daystar UniversityMaureen Onyango-Ngesa, PhD Candidate, Clinical Psychology, Daystar UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/809622017-07-23T20:09:57Z2017-07-23T20:09:57ZHugs, drugs and choices: helping traumatised animals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179125/original/file-20170721-30878-4swma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Interspecies relationships can help traumatised animals form healthy attachments.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sugarshine animal sactuary</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Rosie, like a real-life <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112431/">Babe</a>, ran away from an organic piggery when she was only a few days old. She was found wandering in a car park, highly agitated, by a family who took her home and made her their live-in pet. However, after three months they could no longer keep her. </p>
<p>She was relocated to the <a href="http://sugarshinefarm.com.au/">Sugarshine animal sanctuary</a>, outside Lismore in New South Wales. Kelly Nelder, Sugarshine’s founder and a mental health nurse, described her as “highly strung” and “needy”. It’s not surprising that Rosie, after the loss of two primary care attachments, was unable to bond with the other pigs; she was traumatised.</p>
<p>I met Rosie when I visited Sugarshine, investigating the similarities between human and animal trauma. I spent 20 years as a clinical and forensic psychologist, but as an undergraduate I studied zoology. </p>
<p>My zoology lecturers told us not to anthropomorphise – that is, not to project human qualities, intentions and emotions onto the animals we studied. But now there is a growing recognition of animals’ inner life and their experience of psychopathology, including trauma. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IbNNwIZUsDo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>At Sugarshine, traumatised animals are given freedom to find solitude or company as they wish. Interspecies relationships are encouraged, like a baby goat being cared for by a male adult pig, or a rooster who sleeps alongside a goat.</p>
<p>Rosie has been at Sugarshine for a few months now and is more settled, roaming its gullies, farmyards and shelters, although according to Kelly she’s still anxious. She prefers the company of the bobby calves, wedging herself between them as they lie on the ground, getting skin-to-skin contact, falling asleep, and beginning the reattachment process.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179126/original/file-20170721-3327-11petis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179126/original/file-20170721-3327-11petis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/179126/original/file-20170721-3327-11petis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179126/original/file-20170721-3327-11petis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179126/original/file-20170721-3327-11petis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179126/original/file-20170721-3327-11petis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179126/original/file-20170721-3327-11petis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/179126/original/file-20170721-3327-11petis.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rosie the anxious pig likes to sleep with bobby calves at Sugarshine animal sanctuary.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sugarshine animal sanctuary</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Understanding trauma in animals</h2>
<p>I first made the connection between human and animal trauma on a visit to <a href="http://possumwood.com.au/">Possumwood Wildlife</a>, a centre outside Canberra that rehabilitates injured kangaroos and abandoned joeys, wallabies and wombats. There I met its founders, economics professor Steve Garlick and his partner Dr Rosemary Austen, a GP. </p>
<p>When joeys were first brought into their care, Steve told me, they were “inconsolable” and “dying in our arms”, even while physically unharmed, with food and shelter available to them.</p>
<p>But this response made sense once they recognised the joey’s symptoms as reminiscent of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277781472_Posttraumatic_Stress_Disorder">post-traumatic stress disorder in humans</a>: intrusive symptoms, avoidant behaviour, disturbed emotional states, heightened anxiety and hypervigilance.</p>
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/uCllBqphj7R0k" width="100%" height="270" frameborder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/uCllBqphj7R0k"></a></p>
<p>Researchers at the University of Western Australia have developed non-invasive means for measuring stress and mood in animals and are now working with sheep farmers to <a href="https://phys.org/news/2017-07-stress-testhow-scientists-animals.htm">improve the well-being of their animals</a>. PTSD has been identified in <a href="https://youtu.be/1JB1XCbBJQs">elephants</a>, <a href="http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/05/animals-can-get-ptsd-too.html?utm_source=eml&utm_medium=e1&utm_campaign=sharebutton-t">dogs, chimpanzees and baboons</a>, for example.</p>
<h2>Safe, calm and caring</h2>
<p>To rehabilitate from trauma, humans and animals need to feel safe and away from cues that trigger the individual’s threat response, deactivating the sympathetic nervous system (the fight-flight response). They also need a means of self-soothing, or to gain soothing from another, activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest, digest and calm response). </p>
<p>Progress, from then on, requires the development of a secure relationship with at least one other accepting and caring person or animal. Often, this “other” is someone new. In mammals, including us, this activates our <a href="http://www.compassionatemind.org.au/resources/ewExternalFiles/Introducing-Compassion-Focused-Therapy-Paul-Gilbert.pdf">affiliative system</a>: our strong desire for close interpersonal relationships for safety, soothing and stability. We enter a calmer, receptive state of being so that the reattachment process can begin.</p>
<p>Possumwood uses <a href="http://www.awrc.org.au/uploads/5/8/6/6/5866843/ptsd_in_kangaroos_garlick_and_austen_paper_2014_2.pdf">three stages</a> for trauma rehabilitation. Young animals are first kept in a dark, quiet environment indoors to reduce noises or sounds that might trigger their fight-flight response. Here they have the opportunity to develop new kin friendships of their own choosing. </p>
<p>Sedatives (Diazepam and Fluphenazine) are judiciously used in the early stages. Then, the principal carer spends as much time as possible feeding and caressing them to build a new bond. </p>
<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/9xfWpGPKs3BIs" width="100%" height="270" frameborder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/9xfWpGPKs3BIs"></a></p>
<p>Kangaroos are social animals, unable to survive in the wild unless part of a mob. So joeys are moved next to a large garage, and then finally to an outdoor yard, gradually being exposed to more kangaroos and creating social bonds. Once a mob grows to 30 or so healthy animals, they are released into the wild together.</p>
<h2>The fundamentals are the same</h2>
<p>The similarity between animal and human trauma is not surprising. Mammalian brains (birds also appear to experience trauma) share the principal architecture involved in experiencing <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181836/">trauma</a>. The primates, and certainly humans, have a greater capacity for cognitive reflection, which in my clinical experience can be both a help and a hindrance.</p>
<p>My observations of trauma rehabilitation at Sugarshine and Possumwood emphasises the universal fundamentals:</p>
<ul>
<li>A sense of agency (freedom and control over their choices)</li>
<li>To feel safe</li>
<li>To develop a trusting, caring bond with at least one other creature</li>
<li>Reintegration into the community at the trauma sufferer’s own discretion. </li>
</ul>
<p>For those experiencing social isolation and shame around their trauma – such as returned soldiers or the victims of domestic violence – these principles could not be more pertinent. And for our non-human cousins, like Rosie, we would do well to remember that they do feel, and they do hurt.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80962/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David John Roland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Animals have complex experiences of trauma. Treating them is very similar to dealing with humans, requiring compassion, calm and common sense.David John Roland, Honorary Associate with the School of Medicine, University of Sydney, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/805142017-07-05T13:16:06Z2017-07-05T13:16:06ZFeltham ruling shows youth custody fails to meet needs of vulnerable children<p>By placing a 16-year-old child with mental health issues in isolation for a prolonged period of time, Feltham Young Offender Institution in London breached his human rights and contravened prison rules, the High Court has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jul/04/feltham-yoi-high-court-human-rights">ruled</a>.</p>
<p>The ruling came a few days after Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons said Feltham A – the part of the institution for boys aged 15 to 18 – was “not safe for either staff or boys” in a <a href="https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/06/Feltham-A-Web-2017.pdf">report</a> published after an unannounced inspection. Parts of the institution were described as “deeply troubling” with issues of violence, uses of restraint techniques and isolation deemed to be serious causes of concern. </p>
<p>Named AB in legal documentation, the child’s solitary confinement for <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/04/boy-16-wins-human-rights-ruling-prolonged-solitary-confinement/">more than 100 days</a> was <a href="https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/oa-ab-a-child-v-sosfj-and-others.pdf">ruled</a> on July 4 to have contravened Article 8 of the <a href="http://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Convention_ENG.pdf">European Convention on Human Rights</a> – the right to a private and family life. He <a href="http://howardleague.org/news/felthamsolitaryconfinementhighcourtjudgment/">was</a> locked in his cell for in excess of 22 hours a day, for more than 15 days in a row. </p>
<p>The judge, Justice Ouseley, explained that this denied the child the opportunity to an adequate education and to socialise with other inmates. But he dismissed the argument that the boy’s treatment was inhuman and degrading. The Howard League for Penal Reform, a charity whose legal team represents the boy, is <a href="http://howardleague.org/news/felthamsolitaryconfinementhighcourtjudgment/">now seeking</a> to appeal this part of the ruling. </p>
<p>Despite the child’s challenging behaviour he deserves to have his rights respected and to access appropriate support for his mental health issues and special educational needs. However, the High Court ruling also failed to recognise his need for appropriate support. </p>
<p>Putting distressed children in cells for more than 100 days <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-prisons-child-inmates-solitary-confinement-un-torture-rules-young-offenders-institutes-break-jail-a7591781.html">only exacerbates</a> any pre-existing mental health problems, leaving them vulnerable to traumatic stress. The punishment is the <a href="http://scyj.org.uk/2017/07/scyj-responds-to-hmi-prisons-report-on-feltham-prison/">loss of liberty</a> and children should not be doubly punished by enduring ill treatment in poor conditions. </p>
<h2>Unmet needs</h2>
<p>The child <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/francescrook/status/882250250777493506/photo/1">had</a> complex health and social care needs and adverse childhood experiences. But these were disregarded, with security concerns trumping the need for appropriate care – as it often does in custodial settings. He had attachment difficulties following a traumatic childhood that involved being subject to emotional and physical abuse. He suffered from bereavement and had witnessed domestic violence. He was on the child protection register and had had a number of residential placements. The boy was also diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder. </p>
<p>There is a larger problem here: a disproportionate number of children in the youth justice system have experienced trauma. <a href="http://www.beyondyouthcustody.net/justice-system-retraumatising-vulnerable-young-people/">Research</a> has shown that 91% of young people who have committed violent offences had experienced abuse or loss. The prevalence of such trauma in custody can result in children becoming violent, committing sexual offences and misusing substances. Being in solitary confinement <a href="https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Unlocking-Potential.pdf">can also</a> trigger self-harm and intensify the symptoms of trauma. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176877/original/file-20170705-29998-kpmi2b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/176877/original/file-20170705-29998-kpmi2b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176877/original/file-20170705-29998-kpmi2b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176877/original/file-20170705-29998-kpmi2b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176877/original/file-20170705-29998-kpmi2b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176877/original/file-20170705-29998-kpmi2b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/176877/original/file-20170705-29998-kpmi2b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many young people in detention have a history of childhood trauma.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">via shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Access to support</h2>
<p>Young offender institutions and prisons generally do not have the right provisions, expertise and resources in place to support people who need to be cared for: an issue that has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/05/prison-funding-cuts-are-putting-vulnerable-prisoners-at-risk">intensified</a> following the onset of the government’s austerity programme. </p>
<p>Children with learning disabilities <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/joepublic/2008/dec/03/learning-disability-prison-learning-difficulties">are known</a> to be disadvantaged in prisons and to be more susceptible to bullying, segregation and depression. They can often struggle to follow written instructions relating to prison rules, to complete paperwork, or to make doctors’ appointments. It can be difficult for these children to comply and comprehend what is expected of them. Support tends to be one-size-fits-all – tailored treatment to individuals with learning disabilities is <a href="http://www.communitycare.co.uk/2009/02/27/people-with-learning-disabilities-in-prison-2/">seldom offered</a>. </p>
<p>Although the rights of children in custody ought not to lag behind the rights of children generally, child prisoners are particularly vulnerable to having their rights abused and should be safeguarded. The Feltham young offender case highlights a grim aspect of youth custody and is yet another indicator of the crisis afflicting prisons in which understaffing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-wonder-prisons-are-getting-more-violent-theyre-full-to-the-brim-65921">overcrowding</a>, lack of training and high staff turnover are creating a dire situation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/80514/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sean Creaney is affiliated with social justice charity Peer Power </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Richards does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A judge has ruled that placing a 16-year-old in solitary confinement breached his human rights.Sean Creaney, Lecturer in Psychosocial Analysis of Offending Behaviour, Edge Hill UniversityMichael Richards, Lecturer in Applied Health and Social Care, Edge Hill UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.