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Childhood Trauma

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Children exposed to traumatic or stressful events can experience psychological problems that have long-lasting effects. RAND research on childhood trauma—such as family conflicts, natural disasters, sexual assault, the death of a family member, school violence and bullying, and the trauma faced by immigrant children—examines the impact of such events on an individual's life course.

Essay
Childhood Trauma Is More Common Than You Think. This School-Based Intervention Can Help
A program developed at RAND helps children exposed to trauma confront and subdue their stress and anxiety. The program grew out of the 1990s street violence of South Los Angeles and has since helped kids from Newtown to Fukushima. Researchers are tailoring this intervention for children in Puerto Rico whose lives were upended by hurricanes.
Apr 23, 2019
Commentary
After School Shootings, Children and Communities Struggle to Heal
School shootings leave wounds that affect students, school staff, families, and communities for years. Building community resilience, implementing evidence-based mental health support early, and providing access for survivors and the community immediately and in the long term could help promote healing and prevent more tragedy.
Jul 19, 2019

Explore Childhood Trauma

Journal Article
Stress-induced Changes in Autonomic Reactivity Vary with Adolescent Violence Exposure and Resting-state Functional Connectivity
Exposure to violence during childhood can lead to functional changes in brain regions. This study examined whether changes in autonomic responses varied with whole brain resting-state functional connectivity as a function of violence exposure.
May 18, 2023
Blog
RAND Turns 75: A Look Through the Decades At World-Changing Research
From anticipating the Space Age in the 1940s to studying gun policy and COVID-19 responses in the 2020s, RAND is celebrating 75 years of research that has made a difference.
May 8, 2023
Brochure
Effecting Change, Improving Health
The RAND Corporation is dedicated to transforming the wellbeing of all people by improving health care systems in the United States and abroad.
Feb 7, 2020
Report
Evaluation of a Trauma-Informed Program for Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth: The Pilot Program at Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center
In this report, the authors present the results of a process and outcome evaluation of a trauma-informed pilot program run by the Colorado Division of Youth Services (DYS) in one of their residential youth facilities.
Jan 30, 2020
Journal Article
Detecting and Reducing Post-Traumatic Stress Among Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: A Multi-Agency Early Intervention Program
This study examined the Child Trauma Response Team and its efforts to reduce PTSD symptoms among children exposed to domestic violence.
Aug 20, 2019
Blog
Boris Johnson, Teacher Training, Youth Arrests: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on Boris Johnson's Brexit challenge, how educators feel about their training programs, a spike in youth arrests, and more.
Jul 26, 2019
Periodical
RAND Review: May-June 2019
This issue describes RAND research efforts to help schoolkids suffering from trauma; to help health care providers get better, more meaningful feedback; and to use technology to improve the lives of displaced people throughout the world.
Apr 29, 2019
Blog
Childhood Trauma, Space Traffic, China–Russia Relations: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on a program that helps children exposed to trauma, making outer space safer, tighter China–Russia relations, and more.
Apr 26, 2019
Journal Article
Change in Externalizing Problems Over Time Among Ethnic Minority Youth Exposed to Violence
Strengthening Families Program, a prevention intervention for youth who are exposed to violence, can help ameliorate problem behaviors over time.
Oct 10, 2017
Journal Article
An Examination of Measures Related to Children's Exposure to Violence for Use by Both Practitioners and Researchers
This review of measures to screen, assess, and track outcomes for exposure to violence among children identifies gaps in available measures and recommends establishing a centralized item bank accessible to researchers and practitioners.
Jun 9, 2017
Research Brief
Helping Kids and Families Cope with Violence
Kids who have been exposed to violence are more likely to develop mental health problems and engage in risky behaviors. The need for interventions to help them is clear, but evidence about what works is still emerging. What can be learned from studying Safe Start Promising Approaches?
Mar 30, 2017
Report
Improving Outcomes for Children Exposed to Violence: Safe Start Promising Approaches
Researchers partnered with community-based sites to develop rigorous evaluations of interventions to reduce violence's harmful effects on children and analyze outcome data. This report presents findings and perspectives from this evaluation.
Mar 14, 2017
Journal Article
The Association Between Youth Violence Exposure and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptoms in a Sample of Fifth-Graders
The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between violence exposures (no exposure, witness or victim only, and both witness and victim) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms.
Nov 11, 2015
Journal Article
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Bounce Back
Bounce Back, a program for elementary school students exposed to traumatic events, reduces symptoms of post traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety.
Sep 4, 2015
Blog
Hurricane Katrina: 10 Years After the Storm
This weekend marks 10 years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. As the region struggled to cope and rebuild after the storm, RAND experts worked on solutions to the region's long-term challenges.
Aug 27, 2015
Journal Article
Early Life Adversity and Adult Biological Risk Profiles
Authors determine whether there is a relationship between early life adversity (ELA) and biological parameters known to predict health risks and to examine the extent to which circumstances in midlife mediate this relationship.
Feb 19, 2015
Blog
How Schools Can Help Students with Traumatic Stress
Schools are in a unique position to recognize traumatic stress in children. But first, adults throughout the school system—teachers, staff, administrators, school resource officers, and parents—must be aware of the issue, know how to detect signs of trauma exposure, and create a supportive environment.
Oct 2, 2014
Journal Article
School Intervention Related to School and Community Violence
This article describes how schools can circumvent several key barriers to mental health service provision, outcomes that school interventions target, and the role of the family in school-based services.
Mar 28, 2014

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