Culture and Context of Trauma
Will the trauma experienced by a 6-year-old who has survived a tornado differ from the trauma experienced by an adolescent who has survived the same event? How will their experiences compare to those of an older adult? Imagine a group of individuals who lose all of their resources as a result of a human-made disaster. Will the trauma of losing everything differ between individuals from an impoverished background and individuals who are more affluent? How does culture influence worldview and subsequent perception of the trauma? As you might imagine, there are different levels of traumatization that will, in turn, affect your professional response.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Analyze the impact of stages of development on crisis, trauma, and disaster treatment
Analyze the impact of culture on crisis, trauma, and disaster treatment
Learning Resources
Required Readings
James, R. K., & Gilliland, B. E. (2017). Crisis intervention strategies (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Chapter 2, “Culturally Effective Helping” (pp. 27-47)
Sample Solution
The trauma experienced by a 6-year-old who has survived a tornado will differ from the trauma experienced by an adolescent or older adult due to their cognitive development, physical and emotional capabilities, as well as life experiences. A 6 year old’s reaction to the disaster may be more instinctual, with heightened fear and anxiety; they may also show signs of shock, confusion and disorientation (James & Gilliland 2017). Depending on how much they understand about death and mortality in comparison to an adolescent or adult they could display different levels of grief. An adolescent is likely to experience guilt for not being able to protect themselves or their loved ones during the event while still dealing with shock and fear like a younger child; however their understanding of mortality might make them more resistant to seeking help than younger children since they already have some knowledge that death is inevitable (James & Gilliland 2017). An older adult who has survived a tornado will likely have more life experience that allows them cope better than young adults do but at the same time can become overwhelmed easier too due age related factors such as memory deficits or medical conditions that can complicate recovery efforts (James & Gilliland 2017).
Overall, it is important for those providing support after disaster events like tornadoes take into account these differences between ages when offering help so that all survivors are able to receive adequate assistance regardless of age. By doing this it ensures that those affected don’t fall through the cracks in relief efforts which would only further impede their healing process (Wright 2019).
