• Identify the social, emotional, and physical impact of children related to parental domestic violence exposure

• Identify the strategies to interact with children exposed to domestic violence in a trauma responsive manner

• Be able to verbalize and describe three techniques to calm children who struggle with dysregulation following exposure to domestic violence

OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING

2

1.) Trauma effects us all different

2.) This is a safe place today

• If anything bothers or effects you today-make sure to take care of yourself.

• Feel free to exit if you need a break• Know that that I will stay around for a little while

afterwards to discuss any concerns

Disclaimer

3

Domestic Violence is a pattern of behavior that one person in a relationship uses to control the other. The behavior may be verbally, emotionally, physically, financially, or sexually abusive.

- NCTSN fact sheet “How Does Domestic Violence Affect Children?”

Studies suggest that between 3.3 and 10 million children each year witness domestic violence

In homes where violence between partners occurs, there is a 45% to 60% chance of co-occurring child abuse, a rate 15 times higher than the average.

Even when they are not physically attacked, children witness 68% to 80% of domestic assaults.

- Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Caregivers of the children who were themselves victimized by the perpetrator are often times emotionally unavailable and unresponsive due to living in survivor mode

Children are directly or indirectly asked to keep family secrets for protection and to maintain the family structure

The exposure to the actual DV incident as wella s these family dynamics activate in kids a fear response and a host of other raw, complex, and unresolved emotions

“The mind develops as the brain responds to ongoing experience… The pattern of firing of neurons is what gives rise to attention, emotion, and memory.” – Daniel Siegel (2004)

And what fires together—in a combination of violent exposures and the child’s underlying neurobiological experience—wires together.

Slide 21

Flock

Flee

Fight

Freeze

Faint (submit)

If there is no danger, the “doing” portion of the brain goes back to normal functioning.

If there is danger the “thinking” brain shuts down, allowing the doing brain to act.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT

• fear of harm or abandonment

• excessive worry or sadness

• guilt

• inability to experience empathy or guilt

• habitual lying

• low frustration tolerance

• emotional distancing

• poor judgment

• shame

• fear about the future

LONG TERM IMPACT

During moments of stress -attention given, emotions felt, and memories imprinted onto a child’s brain become inextricably linked together

Becomes the filter all future feelings, beliefs, and choices in relationships are run through

Controls our neuroendocrine responses to stress

The biological process that controls our Fight or Flight

How we are cared for as children dictates the development and function of the HPA Axis

Safe, nurturing, soothing caregiving allows the HPA Axis to develop and function in a manner that allows our brain, body and behavior to tolerate stress because those in our world help us to calm and we then learn to calm or regulate ourselves

Neglectful or scary caregiving require that this stress response system develop and function to prepare our brain, body, and behavior for a world where stress is unpredictable and unrelenting and can not be handled by those around us and therefore we don’t develop the ability to tolerate it without intervention

- Cozolino, 2010; Porges, 2011; Siegel, 2012

HPA Axis Change Behavioral Impact

Decrease in cortisol receptors so no ability to turn off cortisol production

Impulsivity, impatience, agitation, self-focus; over reads & remembers threat but does not remember non-threatening experiences

Abnormal T3:T4 ratio –disconnection between visceral memory and biographical memory

Fear-based visceral memory replays as if it is happening again; Oppositional defiant behaviors and an inability to complete multiple step directions; Power struggles are a lose-lose

Decreased GABA activity; blocks anti-anxiety receptors

Fear cascade is set off; feel disconnected from world, look spaced out; can shut down, fly into a rage, bolt, hypersexual, begging for someone to stop, accuse

Decreased Serotonin Intense mood swings; loss of attention

This begins with a two part approach

1. Helping the child to learn to calm themselves and put their thinking brain on line

2. Helping caregivers and staff learn skills to support the child’s emotional regulation and increase their attachment (safe trusted nurturing adult)

1. Concentration Activities (done with a calm person)

- making crafts- reading together- building with legos- painting, drawing (pour painting)

2. Sensory Integration Activities- making a sugar scrub- playdough- painting with fingers (shaving cream)- massage or brush tool on arms and legs- using lotion on child, or baby doll

- Information from 2016 Finding Hope Consulting, LLC.

3. Physical Activities- walk, hop, skip

- dance party- jump rope, small trampoline- simple yoga poses- laughter

4. Mindfulness/Calming Activities- guided imagery (especially before bed)- make a calming bottle- breath work (bubbles, pin wheels, orb)- fidgets

- Information from 2016 Finding Hope Consulting, LLC.

Children learn to regulate through attaching in relationship to safe trusted nurturing adults

As staff and caregivers, we have to be “regulated” ourselves first before we can support the regulation of a child

Then we begin to use language that supports healthy relationships and communicates safety.

Safety Script(The Resilience Project & Finding Hope Consulting)

Reflect, Honor, Connect(The Resilience Project & Finding Hope Consulting)

Child Adult Relationship Enhancement Skills

- 3 P’s (Point out, Paraphrase, Praise)

- 3 Q’s (Quash the need to lead, quit unnecessary questions, quiet criticism)

- CARE, Messer, Gurwitch, Boat, Olafson, Daugherty, Warner-Metzger, Putnam, Connelly, Theiken, & Sharp, 2016

Cozolino, L. (2010). The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social Brain (2nd ed.). New Your, NY: W.W. Norton & Co.

NCTSN fact sheet “How Does Domestic Violence Affect Children?”

Porges, S.W., (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, self-regulation. New York, NY:W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Siegel, D.J. (2013). Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. New York, NY. Penguin Group, Inc.

Siegel, D.J. (2012). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are. Second Edition. New York, NY: W.W.Guildford Press.

Siegel, D.J. (2011). Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transportation. New York. NY: Bantam Books.

Sherin, J. and Nemeroff, C. (2011). Posttraumatic stress disorder: The neurobiological impact of psychological trauma. Dialogues In Clinical Neuroscience, 13(3) 263-278.

Vicario, M. (2016) Finding Hope Consulting and The Resilience Project

Jill Gay, LCSW LISW-S

Director of Programs and Services

Family Nurturing Center

5 Spiral Drive, Suite 100

Florence, KY 41042

859-525-3200, ext 243