CTC Child Development & Trauma Impact 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which developmental window is most critical for the formation of secure attachment, according to attachment theory?
- Ages 3–5 years
- The first 12–18 months of life (Correct answer)
- Ages 6–8 years
- Adolescence (12–15 years)
Correct answer: The first 12–18 months of life
Bowlby's attachment theory identifies the first 12–18 months as the primary sensitive period when caregiver responsiveness shapes the child's internal working model.
Question 2: A 4-year-old who witnessed domestic violence begins wetting the bed again after being dry for a year. This is best described as:
- Oppositional defiant behavior
- Trauma-related regression (Correct answer)
- Normal developmental variation
- Attention-seeking manipulation
Correct answer: Trauma-related regression
Regression to earlier developmental stages (e.g., enuresis) is a common trauma response in young children as the nervous system attempts to cope with overwhelming stress.
Question 3: Which brain structure is primarily responsible for detecting threat and triggering the fear response in traumatized children?
- Hippocampus
- Prefrontal cortex
- Amygdala (Correct answer)
- Cerebellum
Correct answer: Amygdala
The amygdala acts as the brain's alarm system and becomes hyperactive in children with chronic trauma exposure, lowering the threshold for perceived danger.
Question 4: Erik Erikson's stage 'Initiative vs. Guilt' occurs during which age range and is most vulnerable to disruption by trauma?
- 0–2 years
- 2–3 years
- 3–6 years (Correct answer)
- 6–12 years
Correct answer: 3–6 years
Erikson's third stage (Initiative vs. Guilt) spans ages 3–6; trauma during this period can produce excessive shame and restrict the child's sense of agency and exploration.
Question 5: What is 'toxic stress' in the context of child development?
- Mild, temporary stress that builds resilience
- Strong, frequent, prolonged activation of stress systems without adequate adult support (Correct answer)
- Stress caused exclusively by physical abuse
- Stress that only affects children under age 2
Correct answer: Strong, frequent, prolonged activation of stress systems without adequate adult support
Toxic stress refers to intense, repeated, or chronic adversity that activates the HPA axis without buffering from caring adults, disrupting brain architecture and organ systems.
Question 6: A school-age child with a trauma history avoids all group activities and prefers to sit alone. From a developmental lens, which domain is most directly impacted?
- Gross motor development
- Social-emotional development (Correct answer)
- Language development
- Visual-spatial reasoning
Correct answer: Social-emotional development
Trauma frequently disrupts social-emotional development by impairing trust, emotional regulation, and the capacity to relate safely to peers.
Question 7: Which of the following is a hallmark sign of disorganized attachment resulting from early trauma or abuse?
- Consistently seeking comfort from the caregiver when distressed
- Showing no preference between caregiver and stranger
- Approaching and simultaneously fearing the caregiver (Correct answer)
- Exploring freely without checking back with the caregiver
Correct answer: Approaching and simultaneously fearing the caregiver
Disorganized attachment arises when the caregiver is both the source of fear and the expected source of comfort, producing approach-avoidance conflict in the child.
CTC Child Development & Trauma Impact 2
Which developmental window is most critical for the formation of secure attachment, according to attachment theory?