1

Childhood Traumas and Its Impacts on Adult Life

Sofia Giotti Teixeira

English Department, Kent State University

ENG 21011 - 997: College Writing II

Professor Kimberly Yoder

April 14, 2022

 2

Childhood Traumas and Its Impacts on Adult Life

Childhood trauma can have effects on adult life in terms of mental health, behavior issues, and

physical health. An abuse from close relatives, a bullying suffered in school, or even an accident are

some of the examples for childhood trauma. However, what really defines it as a trauma is its impact

and consequences onto someone's life; what for some may be nothing, for others can be a lifetime of

suffering.

First and foremost, it's significant to define what

is understood from childhood trauma before looking into

its results. The National Institute of Mental Health

defines childhood trauma as: a child who experienced an

emotionally painful or distressful event, which

commonly leads to lasting mental and physical effects. In

other words, childhood trauma is considered a traumatic

experience during early years of life that have last longing impacts into the future. With that in mind,

it's relevant to also consider what these future impacts may be. A great example to evidentiate those is

a longitudinal study conducted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) which explored the

long-lasting impact of childhood trauma into adulthood, including over 17,000 participants ranging in

age from 19 to 90. Its results demonstrated the relation between the childhood trauma exposure, and

high-risk behaviors consequences (for example smoking, unprotected sex, drug use, ect), as well as

phisicaly health consequences (such as chronic illness, heart disease and cancer). Even though some

may wrongly argue using comments such as "they were so young when that happened, they won’t

even remember it as an adult," studies such as this ACE, and even someones' own or a close one's

personal experiences prove it wrong.

 3

Following, looking into more specific

evidence showing physical health impacts due to

child traumatic events, the 2015 study published

in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine

is a credible resource. It revealed that stress of

trauma in childhood can affect the development

of immune and nervous systems, making it harder

for it to achieve its full potential. Also, it reported

that it higher the risks of chronic disease in the

future, as for coronary heart disease, asthma,

diabetes, and even stroke. Additionally, in terms of mental health the impacts can include: anger

control issues, emotional distress, high levels of stress, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder

(PTSD). A research published in Psychiatric Times evidenciated that the prevalence of suicide

attempts is significantly higher in adults who experienced somekind of traumas as a child compered

to those who didn't. Also, considering the behavior consequences, there can be: experiencing more

intense reactions, engaging in high-risk behaviors, trouble problem-solving or reasoning, lack of

ability to plan ahead or prepare for the future, and low self-esteem. Moreover, in some cases

childhood trauma can extend beyond the mentioned physical, mental health and behavior

consequences. Some studies, such as one from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, have

proved that those who experience trauma in childhood have a higher risk of becoming a criminal

offender, possibly committing serious and violent offenses. Taking that into account, it's clear that

trauma experienced in childhood can have lasting effects up to adult years in several different aspects

of life.
 4

In the book born a crime for instance, Trevor Noah ,the author, shares many of his childhood

stories, for example the one in which his mother made him jump from the still moving minivan. As

described by himself "My mother reached over, pulled the sliding door open, grabbed me, and threw

me out as far as she could" (Noah, 2016, 19p.). Despite being a harsh and remarkable moment, Noah

found in humor a way to cope with his emotions. Right following he includes his comedy "Mom said

“run,” and I ran. Like the gazelle runs from the lion, I ran." (Noah, 2016, 19p.). Throughout his book

he speaks very openly about it, as he does with his comedy show and interviews as well. Noah shares

his history and passes his message in a more relaxed form, even with serious issues. Nonetheless,

that's not a rule for everyone. Some people spend a lifetime suffering for an issue that happened in

childhood and never find a way to truly cope with it. For Trevor, he learned how to deal with his

traumas and understand, as well as professional psychological support. More than that, even coping

with the issues, doesn't mean Trevor, or anyone who experiences childhood trauma will be free of it,

it can potentially be a trigger; what can be done is learn how to deal with it. The author for instance

shared a recent experience of his mental health issue, "It was terrible. Are you kidding me?" (Noah,

2021), still, once again he found an alternative to deal with it, this time mainly by adjusting his

routine "Two of the best things for depression are routine and goal-oriented tasks." (Noah, 2021).

To conclude, childhood traumas can affect adults' behavior, mental and physical health.

Avoiding childhood trauma is not an alternative, once in yearly ages people don't have the maturity

for so neither have the independence/autonomy, besides some if not most situations are

uncontrollable. Therefore, childhood traumas end up happening for many people and consequently

having those last longing impacts on adulthood. Nonetheless, with proper treatment and support those

consequences can be minimized and learned how to deal/cope with, as happened for Trevor Noah.
 5

References

Amy Morin, L. C. S. W. (n.d.). Alleviating childhood trauma. Verywell Mind. Retrieved April

16, 2022, from https://bit.ly/3uKSX3V

Bartlett, J. D., & Steber, K. (2019, May 9). How to implement trauma-informed care to build

resilience to childhood trauma. Child Trends. Retrieved April 16, 2022, from

https://www.childtrends.org/publications/how-to-implement-trauma-informed-care-to-

build-resilience-to-childhood-trauma

Browne, C., & Winkelman, C. (2007). The Effect of Childhood Trauma on Later

Psychological Adjustment. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 22(6), 684–697.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260507300207

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2017). Supporting brain development in traumatized

children and youth. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,

Children’s Bureau.

Fox B, Perez N, Cass E, Baglivio M, Epps N. Trauma changes everything: Examining the

relationship between adverse childhood experiences and serious, violent and chronic

juvenile offenders. Child Abuse Neglect. 2015;46:163-173.

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.01.011

Horwitz, A. V., Widom, C. S., McLaughlin, J., & White, H. R. (2001). The Impact of

Childhood Abuse and Neglect on Adult Mental Health: A Prospective Study. Journal

of Health and Social Behavior, 42(2), 184–201. https://doi.org/10.2307/3090177

Laurie Garo, Ayana Allen-Handy, & Chance W. Lewis. (2018). <em>Race, Poverty, and
 6

Violence Exposure: A Critical Spatial Analysis of African American Trauma

Vulnerability and Educational Outcomes in Charlotte, North Carolina</em>. The

Journal of Negro Education, 87(3), 246–269.

https://doi.org/10.7709/jnegroeducation.87.3.0246

Noah, T. (2016). Born a crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. Cornelsen.

Zeeman, K. (2021, June 21). Trevor Noah on depression and being a workaholic. TimesLIVE.

Retrieved April 16, 2022, from https://bit.ly/37Q312x

 Libraries
PIKES PEAK COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Centennial Campus Library: 5675 S. Academy Blvd.. Room A201
Circulation: 719.502.2400 • Reference: 719.502.3410
Rampart Range Campus Library: 11195 Highway 83. Room N201
Circulation: 719.502.2440 • Reference: 719.502.3430
askalibrarian@ppcc.edu • Text/SMS

CRAAP Test
for Evaluating Sources SCORE CARD
Use the questions below to help you evaluate your sources. This can be used for print
and online sources. Answer the questions then score each section from 1 - 10 (1 =
unreliable, 10 = excellent). Add up the scores to help you decide whether you should
use that particular source for your assignment.

Currency.......................................................... YES NO
When was the information published/posted? Recent years, however some don't
specify the date x ☐
Has the information been updated?
x ☐
Does the information need to be current for your needs?

Relevance..................................................
Does the information you found match the topic for your assignment? x ☐
Have you looked at other sources before selecting this one? x ☐
Are your questions answered by this source? x ☐

Authority.........................................................
Who is the author or publisher of the information? Creditable institutions and authors
Can you find and verify the author or publisher’s credentials? x ☐
Does the URL help you determine the source? (.edu; .com; .gov) x ☐

Accuracy..........................................................
Can you verify this information in another source? x ☐
Did the author back up his/her statements with evidence and list sources? x ☐
Are there lots of spelling or grammar errors or typos?
☐ x

Purpose...........................................................
What is the purpose of the information? Does it aim to teach, entertain,
sell, etc.? To inform, teach and report
x ☐
Is the information unbiased; does the author or publisher seem impartial?
Are there political, religious, cultural or other biases present? ☐ x
Scoring:
45-50 Excellent • 40-44 Good • 35-39 Average
30-34 May or may not be Acceptable
TOTAL SCORE
Below 30 Not an acceptable source

The Score Card is adapted from the CRAAP test created at the Meriam Library at California State University Chico.
 Name of Reviewer: Rodrigo de Carvalho Filho

1. Exchange essays.
2. Type comments or highlight for suggesting revisions. Click YES or NO when completed.

Is there a strong introduction? Does it make you want to read more? Good hook? ☐ YES X NO
Underline the thesis. If the author says something like, “This essay will be about…” remind the undelined
author to rework the thesis.
Is it clear? interesting? X YES ☐ NO
Does the author create a logical flow of ideas that are connected to the thesis? (organization) X YES ☐ NO
Does the author need to use transitions to better connect the ideas and support? X YES ☐ NO
Are the quotations smoothly integrated? X YES ☐ NO
Does the author use there/their/they’re, your/you’re, to/too/two correctly? X YES ☐ NO
Is there analysis / explanation after each quotation / detail? X YES ☐ NO
Are the citations correct? (Scott, 1979, 0:45:14) X YES ☐ NO
Does the author avoid plagiarism? X YES ☐ NO
Does the author use 2 credible sources and Born a Crime? (not .com, not Wiki, etc.) X YES ☐ NO
Does the author complete the requirements of the assignment:
▪ Uses Born a Crime to illustrate or support a point X YES ☐ NO
▪ Uses the rhetorical strategies of logos, ethos, and pathos ☐ YES ☐ NO
▪ Shows what the audience has to gain or lose if we don’t understand (importance) ☐ YES X NO
▪ 2 visuals correctly placed, referred to, captioned X YES ☐ NO
▪ 3 – 5 full pages, double-spaced, APA format X YES ☐ NO
▪ References page, correct, double-spaced, alphabetical X YES ☐ NO
▪ The CRAAP page is added to the end of the paper X YES ☐ NO
Note something that the author has done well. Well organized with great transitions
Note something that should be changed before Try to improve your introduction and make sure to add images
the final copy of the essay is turned in to the
teacher.

3. Use the Highlight Tool for editing and proofreading

a. Highlight misspellings, punctuation errors, and errors in the formatting of in-text citations. Done
b. Identify (highlight), but do not correct, mechanical errors .Done
c. Highlight every it, there is, this is, there are, there was, there were, nowadays, I, being, or being that unless one of these
words or phrases is in a quotation. Zero points if this is not done. (use control + f to find) Done
d. Highlight unclear sentence structures. Done
e. Highlight sentence errors such as fragments, run-ons, and dangling constructions, passive. Done
f. Identify (highlight) any generalizations (many, usually, may, might, probably, a lot of, people, some, etc.) Done
g. Highlight errors in the formatting on the References page. Done
4. Share this page with your classmate. Done
ADD THIS COMPLETEDPAGE TO THE END OF YOUR ESSAY

Helpful Phrases
1. I see your thesis at the end of your intro paragraph
2. I see transition phrases at the beginning of each new paragraph
3. I can see that you …, which is a goal of this paper
4. In your … paragraph I see…., but I do not see….
5. I do not see a References page.
6. My understanding is that the thesis of this paper should … I did not clearly see … in your thesis. Instead, I see…
7. I was confused by this sentence (share the sentence) and I took it to mean (explain how you read that sentence).
8. In paragraph ___ I thought that, based on what you said in the first sentence, the whole paragraph would discuss X. But it
looks to me like at the end of the paragraph, you begin discussing Y, which felt to me like a new and different idea.
9. I thought that the second paragraph was really clear and interesting because….
10. I like the way that you structured paragraph X because ….
11. I appreciate your use of (signal phrases? citations? APA format? transitions? etc.) because I have been struggling with that in
my own writing. Thanks for the example.