The Effects of Traumatic School Experiences on Later Life      

When anyone asks you about memories of childhood, you always tend to share what seems acceptable to people. In general, people can’t think of childhood as a black or white stratum, rather they chose to consider it as a rainbow experience which only has a brighter side. While growing up as a child we really find it hard to deal with changes happening around us. Social construct and values are enough to pour some more load of confusion on a child.

We refer to schooling as a real basic and integral area while growing up. We obviously opt, observe and impose many things on us which could sometime fascinate us. Talking about school memories we always chose to talk about at what we’re good and accomplished at or what made us a known charmer in a room full of other students.

Like as I said earlier, we’re more inclined towards the brighter side rather than having an insight of the darker one. We’re so conditioned in the only talk about our heroic side rather than the guilty or miserable side of ours.  While observing a usual class you can always detect a couple of shies, silent child who merely chose to speak, we label him/her suspicious but aren’t really interested in knowing why is he/she so like this? It is so sure to admit that once in a life we’ve been a victim of bullying or somehow intentionally acted like a bully.

People are so conditioned with the thought of children not having any real problems or hardships in their opinion. Nearly, 35% of children face bullying in their childhood and left unheard which could cause them lasting effect. Not only bullying but a dysfunctional environment in the family also impact a child in several ways leading them anxiety, depression, PTSD, and many other diseases. Unpleasant environment and social setting also impact a child’s cognitive abilities, in this environment children chose not to vent their feeling out as they don’t feel valued under these circumstances.

Molestation and Sexual Assault

Incidents like molestation and sexual assault can impact a person for the whole life. Things don’t remain any common for them. They find it quite complex to see things normally. A child who’s been a victim of such a crisis is expected to have severe trust issues with their social circle. Children at this tender age find it hard to understand such a crisis and mostly chose not to share them but while growing up and as gaining senses of surrounding they felt humiliated and guilty for oneself of not standing against so at that time. Such incidents affect the growth of a person.

Lack of acceptance

Lack of acceptance in schools makes it hard for children to open up and have a voice. Even pin-pointing out in class also impacts a child. School authorities lack to have faith in the concept of introversion and extroversion, as they find it so hard to distinguish between two children have different preferences. Instead, they’d rather choose to taunt that child which makes them feel low about oneself. I, personally, as a young adult still don’t like to be pin-pointed among a group of people. It’s like yes, I do own opinions but like to share them at my own convenience. And many introverts do feel the same way. It also triggers social anxiety in the child which impacts him for a lifetime. Comparison and criticism about academic performance lead to a lack of interest in a child in studies. Such comparison or criticism could be done by teachers, parents, relatives, and peers leads a child to have a lack of faith in oneself. Concentration over miscellaneous things becomes a hard job for children.

Lack of attention

Lack of attention by family or guardians or living in an abusive environment impact child’s school performance with which one innocent soul is so prone to feel unattended and undervalued. Even after living in such an environment while growing up, if the child manages to cope up with traumatic experiences then one tends to be more resilient in life and can lead life efficiently. While on the other hand child who isn’t able to buck up with traumatic experiences while growing up them one might face several issues in preferentially differ domains such as psychologically; it can impact one’s self-esteem, self-accepting and motivation towards life and can also result in poor mental health. Physically such trauma can also trigger chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes, respiratory problems, etc. Such traumatic experiences can also impact one’s behavioural and cognitive domains as one tends to adapt to drinking and smoking habits or substance consumption habit too. One tends to be short-tempered, easy to get irritated, lethargic towards assignments who’ve been through such experiences in life.

All we can do to ease out the impact of trauma in a person’s life is by availing a healthy environment and keep triggers away which affects them. We should hold them calm and let them vent out things so that they can move ahead at the path. One has to be a good listener to help a person who’s been through trauma. One should practice meditation and self-talk so that they could stay calm and lead a healthy life. Somehow consider breakdowns are normal and chose to give them approachable space to stay firm on their stand. Not being a judgemental body would help the person to cope up easily.