The literature on Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in children is rather sparse. Most accounts describe only the aftereffects of horrendous traumas. Yet there is evidence that children are also vulnerable to a wider range of stressor than adults. Since the nosology for PTSD is based upon adult psychopathology, there is a need to examine the syndrome in light of current knowledge about development, psychopathology, and ecological factors in children's lives. The purpose of this paper is to present evidence that the pattern of symptoms of PTSD in children is different from those in adults. The paradigm presented was generated by work with children and youth who were the victims of excessively punitive disciplinary practices in schools. An updated overview of the literature on PTSD in children is presented. Case studies and retrospective data are offered in support of the need to differentiate child/adolescent PTSD from adult nosology and to understand the nature of PTSD when it occurs as a result of school related abuse.

The literature on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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The term “stressor agent” was first introduced to medicine by Selye (1950). Stressors really referred to patho-physiological phenomena associated with shock-like mechanisms, but psychiatrists have made use of the concept and to them stress implies mental conflict, anxiety-tension and defensive re-organization in relation to unpleasant psychic events. This re-organization might be maladaptive and lead to neurotic or deviant behaviour. It is always difficult to isolate a distressing event and attach prime importance to it in the aetiology of psychiatric disorders. What is minor discomfort for one, calling for minor adjustment, may represent severe pain for another by touching on some specially sensitive aspect of the personality, causing drastic emotional and behavioural changes. With these reservations in mind it is possible to extend the psychological concept of stressors to include the field of juvenile delinquency.