Children/young people sometimes witness or are involved in events that they find very scary or stressful, such as accidents, violence, or abuse.

It is normal for everyone to be affected emotionally after going through frightening events. Children/young people may feel angry, sad, scared, guilty, or confused. Often, the negative reactions and emotions fade over time.

Post-traumatic stress disorder occurs when the child/young person struggles to process their memories of the event.

They may re-experience the event through intrusive memories such as nightmares or flashbacks (i.e., memories or pictures of the event popping back into the mind uncontrollably and feeling as though they are happening again).

These memories bring with them the fear and distress that came with the original event.

If you are worried that your child is very distressed, or continues to be distressed after about a month from the event, referring them for psychological intervention can help them process through the negative experiences.