Childhood Psychological Trauma: Risks and Interventions
Childhood Psychological Trauma: Risks and Interventions
What does psychological trauma mean? What are the consequences of traumatic experiences during childhood? And how can cumulative trauma in childhood contribute to the development of dissociation as a defense mechanism?
When we think of trauma, we often imagine terrible situations far removed from our daily lives. Psychological trauma is usually associated with accidents, violence, wars, earthquakes, or unexpected events that permanently change a person’s life. But one doesn’t need to have been a soldier at war to experience the consequences of trauma.
Trauma can also emerge in the everyday lives of seemingly “normal” families, affecting both the body and the mind of the individual as well as their loved ones. Trauma can impact physical health, mental health, and even the immune system, which under stress becomes more vulnerable to illness and infection. But what exactly is psychological trauma, and how does it affect childhood development?
Psychological Trauma: What It Is and How It Affects Childhood Development
Psychological trauma can be described as a “wound of the soul”—an event that suddenly intrudes into a person’s life, negatively altering their daily routine and their perception of life and the world.
There are large-scale traumas that pose a direct threat to physical integrity or even life itself, such as accidents, natural disasters, abuse, or violence.
Here, however, we focus on childhood traumatic experiences that may appear invisible to an untrained eye. Even though they don’t necessarily pose a direct threat to life or physical safety, they can still inflict severe psychological damage.
These are often called “small traumas”: subjectively disturbing experiences characterized by a perception of danger that is not particularly intense but can still be deeply damaging. What happens to a child who experiences trauma, and how does it affect development? What happens when a child suffers from neglect or mistreatment throughout childhood?
Consequences of Trauma in Children
Research has shown that experiences of maltreatment (neglect, overprotection, inconsistent caregiving, physical and psychological abuse, sexual abuse, or witnessing domestic violence) during childhood can increase vulnerability to dissociative symptoms, depression, and anxiety.
The attachment bond between mother and child is fundamental in the early stages of life. It helps regulate arousal—the activation state of the autonomic nervous system in response to physical or psychological changes.
On a physical level, this involves biological systems such as the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system, with physiological responses like sweating, heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol production (the “stress hormone”). On a psychological level, it influences emotional expression, behavior, memory, decision-making, and attention.
In children with insecure attachment, mothers may appear absent and disinterested—or, conversely, overly present, intrusive, and controlling. In both cases, they fail to truly listen to or communicate with their children. This lack of secure attachment leads to chronic cycles of hyper- and hypo-arousal. Experiences of abandonment, in particular, may result in emotional blunting or affective flattening.
Traumatic Experiences in Childhood
In disorganized attachment, children may be exposed to abuse (physical or psychological) or to mothers with depressive symptoms. These experiences disrupt the integration of movement and relational regulation, leading to disorganization in managing arousal and relationships.
Traumatic experiences in childhood often cause chronic overactivation of the defense system, which interferes with other areas of life—such as play, exploration, and socialization. This can produce automatic action tendencies in adulthood, even in the absence of real threats, resulting in maladaptive responses in emotional, work, and social contexts.
Childhood trauma within the attachment relationship can also impair the development of mirror neurons, negatively affecting introspection and relational skills.
Perhaps the clearest way to understand childhood trauma is through its effect on attachment: the child no longer perceives their caregivers as safe. As adults, this often translates into defensive responses even to neutral stimuli. For example, children who felt unloved may grow into adults who avoid intimacy, perceiving relationships as threatening. They may even recreate abandonment trauma by rejecting partners first, as a way to protect themselves from the pain of being abandoned again.
Cumulative Trauma and Dissociation
What happens when trauma is repeated over time? In these cases, the attachment system fails to provide security and protection. The nervous system becomes chronically overactivated, cycling between hyper- and hypo-arousal, exceeding normal thresholds.
Research suggests that cumulative childhood trauma can lead to dissociation as a defense mechanism through this dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system.
The social engagement system—which enables us to form and maintain healthy relationships—can be severely impaired in children exposed to cumulative trauma. As a result, their ability to respond adaptively to stress is weakened.
When cycles of hyper- and hypo-arousal become extreme and chronic, information-processing systems lose their ability to integrate experiences, resulting in structural dissociation. The person appears divided: one part avoids traumatic memories and tries to function in daily life, while another remains trapped in traumatic recall, triggering automatic defensive responses to perceived threats.
Traumatic Memory and the Defense System
This creates deep structural dissociation: one part of the self remains stuck in trauma and in constant defense, while the other attempts to carry on daily tasks (social interaction, play, caregiving, work).
When an internal trigger (like a sensation or emotion) or external stimulus (like someone’s behavior or a context) activates traumatic memory, the defense system immediately takes over. Normal activity is interrupted. The dysregulated neurovegetative response produces different outcomes: the body may freeze, prepare to flee or fight, or collapse. In this state, reflective thought and reasoning are suspended.
Conclusions
In cases of psychological trauma, dissociation is not only an adaptive response and a protection from pain, but also a disintegration of the mind’s integrative functions. It has devastating effects on emotional regulation, thinking, and identity, leading to structural dissociation of personality.
In childhood, a protective factor against trauma is the development of secure attachment with caregivers. Without this, and in the absence of resilient figures, cumulative trauma may result in structural dissociation in adulthood.
From birth, it is crucial for a child to establish a secure, trusting bond with caregivers, especially with the mother. This secure base allows the child to play, explore, and grow. Maternal behaviors such as promptly responding to needs, showing sensitivity and understanding (while still setting appropriate boundaries and rules), and acting consistently are essential for developing secure attachment—protecting the child against trauma and its long-term consequences.
