Parents Must Be Sensitive Towards Children With Traumatic Disorder

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- Family members, especially parents, must be more sensitive towards children with traumatic disorder, according to a psychology lecturer. Rezki Perdani Sawai from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) said attention given by family members could prevent traumatised children from feeling alone and neglected. "Parents must be by their side at all time so that they will not feel threatened or unsafe," she told Bernama in response to the incident in Kampung Baru here where a 10-year-old girl was held hostage for six hours by a 34-year-old man armed with a knife on Monday. Rezki said a child with traumatic disorder could suffer from the condition permanently or temporarily as the recovery process would depend mainly on his or her ability to fight it. If the disorder persists, the parents must take the child to seek psychological treatment from a counselor or psychiatrist, she said. "If the condition is left untreated, the child may suffer from depression and will continue having a flashbacks of the traumatic event," she said. Rezki said parents should also try to understand the emotion of children with traumatic disorder and must not ask or show media reports or tell stories about the traumatic event to the victim. "If the child was traumatised by a near-drowning experience, he or she must've developed a phobic reaction to water." As such, she said parents and family members should ensure that the child would always be in a safe and comfortable condition. -- BERNAMA