Influence of Developmental Stage
Reaction to trauma may be influenced by the adolescent’s developmental maturity and experience. Adolescents can experience the same full range of post traumatic reactions adults experience.1 During adolescence, emotional maturity develops as adolescents enter into intimate relationships and their social circles become larger. They are forming their views of the world. Traumatic experiences can cause them to draw back into an emotional shell, causing them to have thoughts such as, “its better not to get too close to others or it’s not worth working toward a better future.” On the other hand, traumatic experiences can lead to positive outcomes, such as learning how they conduct themselves in the midst of danger or of the heroic efforts of others to protect them.2 << PreviousNext >> |
