Children who have experienced complex trauma can display challenging behaviours that can be difficult to understand and manage. These behaviours often result from early developmental trauma, such as experiencing abuse and/or neglect within their primary attachment relationship. This can lead to difficulties regulating emotions and subsequently their behaviours. At Purple House Clinic (PHC), we are dedicated to helping people understand the underlying causes of these behaviours and providing evidence-based strategies to help children with complex trauma.
Dysregulation is one of the primary underlying causes of challenging (disruptive) behaviours in children with complex trauma. Due to their early experience of traumatic relationships, the child is likely to perceive relationships as frightening and unpredictable and view themselves as unloveable and a bad person. Situations may trigger emotional distress which often presents as challenging behaviour. As well as this, complex trauma and emotional dysregulation can lead to difficulties in forming and maintaining healthy relationships, as children may struggle to trust others and fear abandonment. Other factors, such as sensory sensitivities, anxiety, depression, and learning difficulties, can also contribute to challenging behaviours in children with and without a history of complex trauma. Sensory sensitivities, for instance, can lead to meltdowns or other distressed behaviours when a child is exposed to certain stimuli. Anxiety and depression can cause a child to withdraw or act out in response to stressful situations, learning difficulties may also lead to frustration and other challenging behaviours.
