Why Does Trauma Matter?

Below, we have modified a statement made by Horowitz et al, which speaks to one reason trauma may matter in relation to targeted or extremist violence. 

“[For some persons under some circumstances] behaviors that lead to…violence to self or other, [could be] a person’s best attempt to communicate or mitigate the innumerable effects of the traumas they have experienced” (Horowitz et al, 2015).

The authors are not addressing the issue of whether such acts were wrong or criminal, but they are drawing attention to a possible relationship between violence enacted and violence experienced. Horowitz et al goes on to explain the prominent role of trauma in relationship to mental health and psychosocial work with violence. 

“Trauma is a universal component in the individual assessment of violent behavior. Therapeutic interventions must include a trauma-informed formulation to be effective. Organizational commitment to trauma-informed, person-centered, recovery-oriented (TPR) care is crucial to the efficacy of any of the interventions discussed.”

In working with urban youth, many of whom have been exposed to trauma, Jaleel Abdul-Adil and Liza Suarez of the University of Illinois at Chicago write of the importance of transforming the service focus from an antagonistic “what’s wrong with you?” to an engaging “what happened to you?” This of course includes a focus on trauma. They further explain how to provide trauma-informed, evidence-based best practices for both prevention and intervention which are anchored in socio-ecological model.

Lastly, Weine et al conducted a rapid review of children exposed to adversity and built a model called the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Intervention Framework and found that trauma exposure to individuals was an important risk factor for persons exiting violent extremist conflicts (Weine, et al., 2020).  This risk factor could be mitigated by many different protective factors, such as family support and access to supportive mental health services.