Issue Brief 61: Addressing Trauma in Early Childhood
Young children (under age 7) are exposed at high rates to potentially traumatic events such as abuse, violence, and loss of a loved one. Over half of all victims of child abuse in the U.S. are under age six. Despite this, young children who are victims of trauma receive trauma-focused behavioral health treatments at much lower rates than older children.
Intervening early with children who have experienced trauma reduces the potential for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other serious behavioral health problems later in life. Furthermore, early investment in children’s mental health ultimately pays off many times over in future cost savings. This evidence suggests that there is a critical need to better identify young children exposed to trauma, and to build specialized treatment capacity to address their needs.
This issue brief examines the use of Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency (ARC) as an effective treatment for young children who have experienced trauma and their caregivers. ARC accomplishes this by helping parents develop the skills they need to assist their children with addressing the negative effects trauma may have on interacting with others (attachment), managing emotions (self-regulation), and meeting developmental milestones (competency).
Learn about our current work in ARC
This Issue Brief was prepared by Kim Campbell and Jason Lang.