Editorial

Abstract

Many children and adolescents do not have the peaceful and carefree youth they are entitled to, because they have been exposed to adverse environmental influences that disturb a normal development. These influences may be caused directly by adults whose task it is to protect these children, but sometimes traumatic experiences, including those caused by natural disasters or war conditions, are beyond the control of parents or other adults. The first three articles of this issue pertain to traumatic events that have a great impact on the child's development. The Practitioner Review in this issue by Perrin, Smith, and Yule provides the most up-to-date summary of the literature on the assessment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in young people. Considerable controversy has surrounded PTSD since its inception into the diagnostic nomenclature. The authors make the case that whatever the limits of the diagnostic criteria, children do indeed suffer from post-traumatic stress reactions. The authors draw on their extensive experience working with children exposed to war, natural and man-made disasters, and domestic violence, to give the reader an expert-eye view of the assessment and treatment of childhood PTSD. They make a strong case based on the available literature that cognitive and behavioural approaches hold the most promise as a treatment for childhood PTSD. The reader will find this article useful from both a conceptual and a clinical-practical point of view.