Understanding Parents' Responses to Child Trauma: A Deep Dive into Lived Experiences

In the latest episode of the Resolving Violence podcast, we discuss Jorden Cumming's groundbreaking grounded theory paper on parents' experiences with their child's trauma. This episode sheds light on the often overlooked role of parents in the healing process after a traumatic event and highlights the significant impact they have on their child's recovery.

Existing literature primarily focused on parents' emotional responses, yet there was little understanding of their actual behaviors and the ways they supported their child through the healing process. Using grounded theory as the methodology, allowed for a long and iterative process of interviewing parents, analyzing their experiences, and developing a theoretical model. This inductive approach explored a deep understanding of parents' lived experiences and the emergence of a comprehensive theory born directly from their narratives.

The core finding of the research unveiled a three-phase process that parents go through when confronted with their child's trauma. The first phase involves the revelation of the traumatic event and the subsequent shattering of expectations and worldviews. The second phase centers around parents' efforts to cope with the trauma and support their child's healing. The final phase focuses on the long-term effects of the trauma on parents and their ongoing journey towards healing.

This episode provides a powerful reminder that parents are not passive bystanders but active agents in resolving violence and helping their children navigate the aftermath of trauma. It underscores the crucial role parents play in their child's healing and provides a call to action for researchers, service providers, and the general public to acknowledge, understand, and support parents in this critical process.

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