Developmental Psychological Trauma, Stress, and Revictimization: A Review of Risk and Resilience Factors

The extant literature has denoted that traumatic as well as stressful experiences can negatively affect a child's developmental process. In particular, multiple researchers have documented how developmental trauma and stressors can dispose one to future revictimization. Researchers have also identified multiple risk and resiliency factors that interplay with one's developmental trauma and stress history. Despite the interrelationships of these concepts, there is no current compilation of the literature summarizing this information into one empirically-reviewed manuscript. As such, this paper serves as a current review of how developmental trauma and stressors can affect an individual's neurological, physical health, mental health, socioeconomic functioning as well as lead to subsequent revictimization. Additionally, this paper illustrates current gaps in our empirical understandings, as well as necessary future directions for research. Implications are discussed in terms of treatment in survivors of childhood trauma and stress.