According to the University of Connecticut’s School of Medicine, by the age of 4, one in four children in the United States have experienced a traumatic event. For children who come from low-income households, this trauma risk doubles to one in two children. Dr. Julian Ford, a psychiatry professor and director of the Center for Trauma Recovery and Juvenile Justice at UConn Health. His specialty is focused on childhood trauma, its impact on brain development, and how to prevent the effects of trauma.
Dr. Ford defines trauma as “abuse whether verbal, emotional, physical or sexual, neglect, violence, witnessing violence, or being involved in an accident or natural disaster.” However, trauma does not have to involve something physically life threatening. Just verbal or emotional abuse can make a child feel unworthy of living. Dr. Ford wants to encourage more adults, parents, and teachers to become more “trauma informed” to prevent or even detect childhood trauma and serve as role models.