Physical Childhood Trauma 1

Running Head: PHYSICAL CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

The Impact of Physical Childhood Trauma on an Individual’s Lifetime

Mikayla L. Cole
Glen Allen High School
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Introduction:

What is trauma? Cory Turner, an editor and reporter for the NPR Ed team, works to

explore various aspects of childhood and argues that “trauma is a very heavy and daunting word”

in which many individuals have a variety of perceptions (2018). According to the National

Center of Child Abuse and Neglect, more than 700,000 cases reported in the United States

revolved around a combination of physical, sexual, and/or emotional trauma (Heim & Nemeroff

2001). Each type of trauma is distinguishable; however, the commonalities of outcomes tend to

be very similar. The impact of physical childhood trauma on an individual’s lifetime has been

researched and is often regarded as a chronic issue that could greatly affect one’s future (Gilbert,

Widom, Browne, Fergusson, Webb, & Janson 2009). Researchers and child psychologists have

conducted extensive research and studies to evaluate the correlation between physical childhood

trauma and the adverse effects associated with it throughout an individual’s lifespan.

Experiencing any type of childhood trauma can adversely impact an individual throughout one’s

lifetime. Day-to-day activities such as sleeping and eating become difficult therefore affecting

both physical and mental health, along with the relationships of the individual and those around

them (“The ways childhood trauma & abuse can affect survivors”). Research has firmly

established that recovery is possible with the right help and support in order to have a happier

and healthier future.

Causes and Warning Signs:

“Abuse doesn’t happen in good families” is in fact a myth (Smith, Robinson, & Segal

2017). Physical childhood trauma does not only happen in poor families or bad neighborhoods,

but crosses all lines and anyone is susceptible. In order to raise awareness for the betterment of

society, there are several warning signs to look out for: frequent injuries, expressing fear of
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going home, flinching at sudden movements, and wearing extra apparel to cover up injuries

(Smith, Robinson, & Segal 2017). Injuries that may result from physical traumatic experiences

are typically visible, such as bruises, welts, burns, abrasions, lacerations, wounds, cuts, bone and

skull fractures (Widom 1999).

The warning signs for physical childhood trauma are similar to the other forms of trauma

however, there are distinct differences. Taken as an entirety, trauma itself does not have one

specific cause, although experiencing physical childhood trauma increases the risk of

disciplinary issues in the future which could potentially result in the abused becoming the abuser

(Gilbert, Widom, Browne, Fergusson, Webb, & Janson 2009). If the parents have a history of

traumatic physical abuse as a child, these feelings can be repressed, but one can learn to break

these habits with resilience. (Smith, Robinson, & Segal 2017). Resilience is defined as “the

ability to adapt well and maintain high levels of psychosocial functioning following exposure to

severe or traumatic stress” (Maercker, Hilpert, & Burri 2015). Resilience is a crucial component

to possess in order to recover to one’s fullest potential. It has the ability to change as time

progresses for the better. The predictors to look for that are paired with resilience are higher

social connectedness in society and a higher likelihood of the individual to move on, potentially

becoming married and forming a family in the future (Maercker, Hilpert, & Burri 2015). There is

a need for increased awareness in this particular field, solely based on the listed causes and

warning signs of physical childhood trauma. The basic background knowledge, specifically the

causes and warning signs, highlights the negative and ongoing effects on one’s life following

exposure to physical childhood trauma.

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Brain Activity and the Body’s Responses:

In response to trauma and induced stress, brain activity has potential to be greatly altered.

Studies have proven that persistent changes in the brain seem to correlate with that of anxiety

and depression disorders (Heim & Nemeroff 2001). Paired with the increased likelihood of

anxiety and depression disorders is the increase of brain activity, specifically in the amygdala.

The amygdala is responsible for detecting fear and preparing the body for emergency and altered

perceptions. The Central Nervous System’s ability to perceive and to recognize stimuli is greatly

impaired following childhood trauma. Additionally, there is an increase in neuroendocrine

activity and autonomic stress responsiveness which suggests that childhood trauma results in

changes at the root of the neural systems (Heim, Newport, Mletzko, Miller, & Nemeroff 2008).

When a child has experienced abuse or neglect, their neural rhythms are impaired, thus their

senses are impaired and their ability to perceive emotions or reactions are altered in a negative

manner as their body and brain are not synchronized (Van der Kolk 2016). As a result of

physical childhood trauma, our brain activity and bodily responses are heavily impacted,

therefore furthering the potential negative effects physical childhood trauma could have on an

individual in which the effects can easily vary.

Impact on Children:

The long-term effects of physical childhood trauma in both men and women can carry on

throughout a lifetime. Physical childhood trauma oftentimes results in a lower-self-esteem,

increased likelihood for anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, and could even result in

increased anger, pain, or post-traumatic stress disorder (Briere & Elliot 2003). The severity of

the trauma depends on the individual. Therefore, the effects may be ongoing and greatly impact

the individual’s future (Davies 2003). The negative effects may remain constant over one’s
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lifetime and negatively affect development and relationships in the future. These adverse effects

can lead to a plethora of physical, emotional, and mental health related issues (Dube 2017). A

child that experiences physical trauma at a young age is more susceptible to become an abuser in

the future (Davies 2003).

Physical childhood trauma results in detrimental effects on an individual’s overall quality

of life. Survivors are often out of touch with their feelings and emotions and oftentimes cannot

accurately express their emotions and reactions to particular scenarios. This disconnect typically

causes a heightened sense of anxiety, grief, shame, alienation, and hopelessness (“The ways

childhood trauma & abuse can affect survivors”). These heightened emotions are a part of many

survivor’s daily lives in which these daily activities progressively become more difficult.

Therefore, those in need of recovery may seek out alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, and/or a

multitude of other compulsive behaviors (“The ways childhood trauma & abuse can affect

survivors”). As a result of despair, an attempt to harm themselves or take their own life is one

severe result that a survivor may deem as necessary in order to rid themselves of this discomfort.

Acknowledging these feelings, understanding where they come from, and knowing why they are

so intense, are important parts of any survivor’s journey (“The ways childhood trauma & abuse

can affect survivors”).

A child that feels perpetually in danger exhibits heightened emotions and stress levels.

Adult survivors are more likely to experience difficulty sleeping, lower immune function and

increase risk of illness, and overall impaired daily functions (“The ways childhood trauma &

abuse can affect survivors”). Additionally, those that survive and seek recovery often experience

difficulty trusting others and ultimately experience difficulty forming and sustaining

relationships. Children who experience physical trauma at a young age may feel betrayed by the
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adults who mean the most to them, whose purpose was to protect and nurture them from birth

(“The ways childhood trauma & abuse can affect survivors”). Children who have been physically

abused by their primary caregivers learn to accept the messages that come from their abusers and

therefore experience very low self-worth and poor self-confidence. The strained relationship

between parent and child oftentimes results in the abused becoming the abuser and ultimately

altering one’s sense of self and self-esteem (Smith, Robinson, & Segal 2017). Rebuilding an

individual’s self-esteem is a gradual process and crucial in the recovery process.

When the primary caregiver first strikes, the child begins to feel discomfort and unsafe

within their own home. Those that have been abused or neglected have difficulty establishing an

attachment to their caregiver. Our first relationships are those formed within our families and a

complex series of traumatic events can greatly alter one’s future and perceptions of the world

around them (“Complex trauma effects”). Dissociation is also often noted with children who

have experienced adversity at a young age. They may separate themselves from the experience

and others and ultimately perceive themselves as detached from society. Children may use

dissociation as a defense mechanism as they take on this altered stage unable to distinguish

whether what they are experiencing is real or not (“Complex trauma effects”). A child that has

experienced physical trauma may perceive themselves as “powerless” and “damaged”

(“Complex trauma effects”).

The adverse effects of physical childhood trauma can carry on throughout a lifetime,

particularly depression. Depression is a common result of physical childhood trauma and has the

ability to change as time progresses. Depression is twice as common in women than in men

(Heim, Newport, Mletzko, Miller, & Nemeroff, 2008). As expected, the data in the study showed

that the more a victim is acknowledged as a victim the more it is associated with an increase in
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depression and late life suffering. With the prevalence of depression also comes with a multitude

of other health related issues (Davies 2003.)

As an individual experiences physical childhood trauma, there is an increased likelihood

for one to develop a lifetime of post-traumatic stress disorder. After conducting a multitude of

studies, it has been discovered that the odds of an abused and neglected child developing PTSD

were 1.75 times higher than the odds for a matched comparison subject that had not experienced

abuse or neglect as a child (Widom 1999). The increased risk for post-traumatic disorder may

also be due to additional factors as families with preexisting issues within the home, alcohol or

drug use, or large families with five or more children (Widom 1999). If born into a family of five

or more children, each child is susceptible to the abuse and therefore the PTSD that may be

associated depends on the individual (Widom 1999). Along with the development of PTSD,

other disorders are likely to be developed that have also stemmed from a prior traumatic

experience. The severe adverse effects that could result following exposure to physical childhood

trauma greatly affects one’s future and an individual’s life as a whole and is often regarded as a

pressing issue.

Test and Questionnaires to Assess Impact:

In order to assess physical childhood trauma, there are a multitude of tests that have been

created in order to assess trauma exposure throughout the lifetime of an individual. The most

significant and reliable evaluation of trauma is the ACE Test. The ACE Test assesses for abuse,

neglect, and household dysfunction. The ACE test helps to further focus on overcoming trauma

for both the child and loved ones involved, in hopes to reduce the amount of stress and risk

factors in the future for everyone (Turner 2018). The ACE Test provides the people with

awareness, particularly those with a high score on the ACE Test in which they would be
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provided with guidance in order to evaluate what the next steps would be. The World Health

Organization created an additional test that assesses the impact of trauma and estimated that

155,000 deaths in children younger than fifteen occur worldwide every year as result of abuse

and neglect (Maercker, Hilpert, & Burri 2015). Both the World Health Organization’s Composite

International Diagnostic Interview Score and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire are added

together to collect data on trauma exposure throughout a lifetime in thirteen very different

categories. As expected, the data in the study showed that the more a victim is labeled as victim,

the likelihood of depression and adverse effects significantly increases (Maercker, Hilpert, &

Burri 2015). One other assessment is the Traumatic Events Survey that includes questions that

help to assess children physically abused begin with the phrase “before the age of 18” further

assessing life prior to adulthood (Briere & Elliot 2003). One final assessment is the Trauma

Symptom Inventory that has the ability to measure other factors that may be responsive to the

specific impacts of physical childhood trauma (Briere & Elliot 2003). The tests and

questionnaires are utilized in order to evaluate trauma exposure in children which helps to further

emphasize the need for additional research in the field in hopes to decrease the overall negative

impacts.

Gender and National Rates:

The rate at which childhood trauma occurs varies depending on the gender of the

individual and the nation in which the individual resides and the differences between the genders

are less well-known. Controversy has risen in regards to male trauma rates in which researchers

believe the results of trauma are highly underestimated and should ultimately be higher (Briere &

Elliot 2003). In both high-income and low-income countries, the rate in which women are

sexually abused and are at risk for neglect are higher to that of men, as expected, while men
 Physical Childhood Trauma 9

typically receive harsher physical punishment. In particularly low-income countries, boys are at

an even greater risk of severe physical punishment (Briere & Elliot 2003). Ginny Sprang, a

Buckhorn professor of child welfare and children’s mental health at the University of Kentucky,

conducted a research study to compare these implications in 2011 (Zielger 2011). Alongside her

colleagues, she measured and compared the scores of girls and boys at three and six months of

treatment. She was able to uncover that after three months, the girls suffered greater, but after six

months of treatment, the gender gap began to narrow (Zielger 2011). This study did not specify

physical trauma, but compared the different types of trauma that helped to explain the gender

differences, especially during the first three months (Zielger 2011). Sprang argued that girls are

more likely to be exposed to sexual trauma, while boys are less likely to experience sexual

trauma, but obtain injuries from accidents and witness more violence than young girls (Zielger

2011). Most of the modern and available treatments do not tailor specific to gender.

There are noticeable differences between the rates of physical childhood trauma

worldwide. Research has shown that over 80% of physical childhood trauma is perpetrated by

adults, more oftentimes parents (Gilbert, Widom, Browne, Fergusson, Webb, & Janson 2009). In

the United Kingdom, one in thirty children were reported as physically abused by their parents.

Similarly, an additional staggering statistic is that between both the United States and the United

Kingdom only 1.4-10.1% of children or their mothers reported the absence of care (Gilbert,

Widom, Browne, Fergusson, Webb, & Janson 2009). In Europe, this has been more of a pressing

issue as it is also associated with economics. That being said, physical childhood trauma is 5%

higher in Sweden than any other nation around the world (Gilbert, Widom, Browne, Fergusson,

Webb, & Janson 2009). Additionally, abuse tends to be higher in rural areas than urban areas

along with the association of socioeconomic status and ethnicity. Poverty, mental health, poor
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education, alcohol, and drugs are all associated with the mistreatment from parents in both rural

and urban areas (Gilbert, Widom, Browne, Fergusson, Webb, & Janson 2009). Although there

are noticeable differences between the rates of physical childhood trauma worldwide, the

similarities of the outcomes tend to be very similar. The correlation between physical childhood

trauma and its negative effects exists worldwide and requires additional attention in order to help

approach this severe problem impacting thousands of children and families around the world.

The Role of the Media:

Today’s media plays a major role in defining what is “normal” and what is “deviant”

behavior. The media coverage has a major impact and is essential to the growth of society and

societal awareness. According to Goddard and Saunders, “The deaths of children already

identified as abused by the child protection services and other health and welfare workers have

become a major part of the media coverage of child abuse and neglect” (2001). The media tends

to portray the children of physical childhood trauma as either victims, out of control, or even go

as far as classifying some as evil (Goddard & Saunders 2001). When the media focuses on the

actual coverage of physical punishment from a child’s perspective, it is rare and in contrast,

tends to “emphasize the rights of parents to use physical means to shape children’s behavior”

(Goddard & Saunders 2001). Despite the negative connotation and portrayal in the media, the

media is considered to be a primary source of information for people around the world for social

problems like these.

How to Help:

Unfortunately, under-reporting is more common than over-reporting when paired with

trauma (Gilbert, Widom, Browne, Fergusson, Webb, & Janson 2009). 85% of trauma regardless
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of the type goes unreported, while over 800,000 cases have been reported every year just in the

United States (Heim, Newport, Mletzko, Miller, & Nemeroff 2008). With time, reports have

fallen greatly as under-reporting is far more common than over-reporting. Of the children that

had reported previous trauma, only 5% of children had reported these incidences to child

services (Gilbert, Widom, Browne, Fergusson, Webb, & Janson 2009). Those that had

experienced trauma at a young have a variety of treatments available to them, however, a

successful treatment looks different to every individual as perceptions vary and are unique to

each individual (Heim, Newport, Mletzko, Miller, & Nemeroff 2008). There are many treatments

available to those who need it. Professionals in the field are more than willing to help those in

need whether it be just the child, the parents, or many of their loved ones. There are many ways

in which to offer assistance, provide reassurance, and provide support for the child. This issue

should be brought to worldwide attention where researchers and psychologists are fully aware of

and serve to educate the world around them of the negative effects paired with physical

childhood trauma across a lifetime.

Conclusion:

Children who live in homes that do not provide safety and comfort often create their own

ways to cope and survive in their daily lives (“The ways childhood trauma & abuse can affect

survivors”). Recovery is a lengthy and difficult journey for every individual. Dr. Nadine Burka

Harris, founder and CEO of the Center for Youth and Wellness, provides the people of today’s

society with hope and encouragement as she asserts “the single most important thing that we

need today is the courage to look this problem in the face” (2014). Regardless of the correlation

between physical childhood trauma and the negative effects associated with it, researchers and

child psychologists must invest more interest into this severe traumatic issue. This issue must be
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brought to worldwide attention in which researchers and psychologists should be fully aware of

and serve to educate the world around them of the negative effects paired with physical

childhood trauma across a lifetime.

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References

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childhood physical and sexual abuse in a general population same of men and women.

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https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/complex-trauma/effects

Davies, S. (2003). The late-life psychological effects of childhood abuse Current Medical

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