Signs of Stress in Children Under 5 Years Old

Lea esta página en Español.

Though it can be difficult to recognize when a child is being abused, there are signs you can watch for. Below is a list of common signs of abuse in infants and toddlers that everyone should know.

Click here to learn the signs of child abuse in school-age children and adolescents.

Similar to school-age children and adolescents, infants and toddlers can also be impacted by trauma and stress. Although they may not understand everything they see and hear, they may nonetheless be affected by what is happening around them.

Very young children are affected by the mood and emotions of the significant people in their lives, whom they depend on for love, safety and security. Different children may have very different reactions, even within the same family. After a trauma, children may need different amounts of time to cope and adjust. Behaviors that you might see in very young children that could be signs of stress may include the following:

• Increased clinginess or whining
• Greater fear of being separated from parent or caregiver
• Increased general fearfulness (i.e. more afraid of being alone, of going to the bathroom)
• More anxious, jumpy or scared
• Increased aggressive behaviors
• More withdrawn, harder to engage
• More crying
• More tantrums or screaming
• Difficulty comforting self
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep, or having nightmares
• Changes in eating habits (i.e. refusing to eat, loss of appetite)
• More easily frustrated
• Appearing to be less responsive, or showing little emotion
• Possible acting out the trauma/abuse in their play
• Afraid to explore their environment
• Returning to earlier behaviors, such as:
• Thumb sucking
• Increased bedwetting
• Frequent awakening at night
• Fear of the dark or strangers

Ways to support your young child:

If your young child is showing signs of stress, there are ways that parents and caregivers can sensitively support their children and help them cope. Remember that young children are very much affected by the moods and emotions of their parents and caregivers. If you are anxious, worried or sad, very often your child knows it. Taking care of yourself is an important part of taking care of your child.

Below are some additional ways to support your young child:

• Reassure, comfort and support your child.
• If your child wants to talk, listen.
• Try to be patient and calm when your child is clingy, whining, or acts more aggressive.
• Avoid blaming or minimizing your child's feelings (for example, avoid saying, "Don't be a baby. Stop crying.")
• Help to identify your child's feelings by naming them (such as "sad," "scared," or "angry")
• Maintain consistent, everyday routines.
• Ask family members and friends not to talk about scary events in front of your child.