Domestic Violence Impact Child Development Trauma

1. How did Manny’s reaction(s) to traumatic events impact other parts of his life, as a child? As a young adult?

Manny experienced violence as he grew up, which made him struggle to cope with school and later on in adult life. As a child, Manny had issues concentrating in class, and his moods would change abruptly, leading the school counselor to think he had ADHD or bipolar disorder. He became pretty reserved and did not interact much with other children. As a young adult, Manny started using drugs to escape his childhood traumatic events and became violent and overly protective of others. His violent episodes can be triggered by anything, even events that are not directly affecting him. When he beat up Mario, there was no direct correlation between Mario’s actions and why Manny attacked him. Manny could have used a different tactic to intervene instead of punching Mario. Manny believes in using violence to settle things because that is how he was raised.

2. Identify areas in the video related to addiction, criminal justice, mental health, and child welfare that were or potentially could impact Manny’s life. Why is it important for social workers to consider these fields when working with vulnerable children and families?

When the probation officer asks Manny if he has been doing drugs, it indicates Manny was addicted to drugs, and there is a likelihood he might still be using drugs. The attack on Mario relates to criminal justice because Manny attacked another person who was not bothering or interfering with him. Manny lost control of his actions, and it is evident with how he beat up Mario demonstrating mental health issues. Exposing his baby to violence is related to child welfare. A child should not be brought up in a violent home or with violent parents.

Social workers should consider these files because they impact a child that could affect their adult life. A child who grows up in a violent home will continue the violence in adulthood, and the vicious cycle will not be broken. To reduce trauma in children, social workers should push for the removal of children from violent homes and families.

3. Utilizing the assigned document, Trajectory of a Traumatized Youth, make connections between Manny’s trauma history and his behaviors/functioning.

Manny displayed symptoms of a traumatized child, which impacted his behavior. Aggression is one of the behaviors exhibited by Manny, which is directly related to his upbringing. The trauma he experienced as a child led him to be defensive, leading to his aggression. Difficulty paying attention is another behavior displayed by Manny connected to the traumatic events he experienced. Manny is hypersensitive to violence and loudness, and that is why he could hear Mario and the girl arguing while others were not bothered. According to the school counselor, Manny demonstrated impulsivity where he would be fine in one minute and different in the next minute. As a young adult, Manny had substance abuse issues, as shown by the probation officer. Suicidal threats come to the fore after Mario’s attacks, where he indicates his wife and child are better off without him in their life.

4. Address the similarities in how the therapist intervened with Manny versus how the probation officer intervened. Using the Trajectory of a Traumatized Youth document, address what behaviors facilitate positive outcomes versus negative outcomes.

The therapist understood that the behavior demonstrated by Manny in the present is due to the trauma he faced as a child and wanted to begin his session by looking into Manny’s childhood. The probation officer intervened by encouraging Manny to make better life choices. They both want the best for Manny, and they use different approaches to show him how he can overcome the trauma he faced. The therapist focuses on his childhood since his violent behaviors stem from there. The probation officer pushes Manny to make changes in his life by ensuring his son does not turn out like him. The probation officer and the therapist agree that Manny’s anger is his undoing, and if he does not work on it will be his downfall. The probation officer pushes Manny to work on his anger, while the therapist takes him back to his childhood to relate his anger to his upbringing.

Behaviors that facilitate positive outcomes are having a personalized trauma-informed plan addressing the child’s unique needs, engaging the family on the program of care for the youth, assessing the child’s environment for safety before implementing an intervention, and looking for opportunities to increase prosocial activities. Behaviors facilitating negative outcomes are suspensions, expulsions, mandatory detention, abusive institutions, probation practices, removal from home, placement instability, and exposing the child to multiple social workers.

1. Share one direct quote/statement from an expert in the film and discuss the impact this statement had on your understanding of working with children impacted by trauma.

“Our biases as clinicians come into play here, so… Certain individuals may have more experience. Working with one diagnosis or another may have more experience with children who have developmental problems, who have bipolar disorder, and so those biases may cause us to sort of see the thing that we’re looking for.”

We all have biases, and if we are not aware of these biases, they will directly impact our work as social workers and therapists. These biases prevent us from seeing the reality, and instead, we end up seeing the trauma affecting the child as something else, leading to misdiagnosis and treatment failure. Without biases, we can have a clear mind and identify the underlying issue.

Misdiagnosis is expected, especially for children impacted by trauma. In most cases, the child was misdiagnosed the first time, and the therapist does not think they should repeat what has already been done. Therefore, they will read the child’s file and develop a diagnosis based on what they read and not what they observe. It is vital for therapists to rely on their diagnosis and not what they have been told or assumed.

2. In order to feel equipped to work with vulnerable children and families, what do you need/want to know more about? Use google scholar and search for an article that matches the topic you’d like to know more about. If not, try expanding your terms or widening your subject. Once you have picked the Article, provide the link and briefly summarize the content. Did it answer any of your questions? What follow up questions do you have now?