Research shows that childhood exposure to trauma is far more common than one might think, with two-thirds of kids having had at least one adverse experience and more than 1 in 5 having had three or more. “Trauma symptoms can be really, really disruptive to kids across many aspects of their lives,” says Katie Peinovich, LCSW, a licensed clinical social worker at the Child Mind Institute. These symptoms — including anxiety, nightmares, and avoidance behaviors — can hurt a child’s self-esteem and their relationships with family and friends. They can also disrupt learning.Read the rest of the article from childmind.org here.