Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, participated in the 8th Education Summit organized by Yıldız Technical University's Child and Education Club. Tarhan, who gave a presentation titled 'Communication with Children After Disasters,' emphasized that instead of fearing traumas, one should fear their mismanagement. Stating that a life without trauma is not possible, Tarhan said that the important thing is to turn traumas into opportunities.
“We manage our brains to be our own leaders”
At the event held at Yıldız Technical University's Davutpaşa Campus, Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, speaking about how trauma and stress disorder should be managed in children, drew attention to the human-brain relationship. Tarhan said: 'When it comes to trauma and stress in children, it's essential to understand what we mean. Here, one needs a good understanding of the human-brain relationship and the human-body relationship. In fact, when we talk about child education, we are making changes in the brain, altering the network in our brain. After that structural condition in the brain changes, some traces become permanent, and some traces can continue as childhood trauma. If a person can be their own leader, they can be the leader of a family, manage a classroom, or be the leader of any institution. That's why we manage our brains to be our own leaders. Therefore, when educating a person about trauma, we need to know that we are training their prefrontal cortex. In childhood, the left brain is the rational brain; it's related to logic, reasoning, analysis, speech, and calculation. The right brain is the emotional brain; it's related to music, art, and aesthetics. The prefrontal cortex provides the balance between the two. In other words, as the prefrontal cortex matures, the person matures,' he said.
“Five factors determine whether a child experiences trauma…”
In the program, which drew great interest from prospective teachers, Tarhan spoke about what experiences can be traumatic: 'Neglect such as children being removed from home, natural disasters, technological catastrophes, violence from family and society, terrorism, incidents of physical violence, school violence, discrimination, prejudices, racism, substance abuse incidents, traumatic separations, asylum seeking, war experiences, serious accidents, life events, stress related to military families, family losses – all these traumas are general medical definitions of childhood trauma…' he stated.
Tarhan, stating that five factors determine whether a child experiences trauma, listed them as: 'The severity of the event, the individual's proximity to the event, the parents' reaction, whether the individual was prepared before the trauma, and family and societal factors…'
One should fear not traumas, but their mismanagement
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stating that one should fear not traumas, but rather their mismanagement, said: 'A life without trauma is not possible. Every child has more or less trauma; the important thing is to turn traumas into opportunities. In every traumatic event, in every traumatic life, there is a threat dimension and an opportunity dimension. If you focus on the threat dimension, you will fall into depression, lose self-confidence, develop post-traumatic stress disorder, anxieties, and many psychiatric illnesses, but if you ask 'What did this teach me?' and look at the opportunity dimension, these traumas become developmental traumas. Traumas are an unavoidable reality of life; the important thing is to be able to turn that trauma, that natural disaster, into an opportunity. In post-trauma communication, we will ask 'What did this event teach us?' and then learn lessons from the past through the teaching of this event. We will learn from the past, live in the present, but look to the future. The moment you teach this to a child, that child learns to manage themselves. Therefore, let's not fear traumas, let's fear their mismanagement,' he said.
Children should not be led to despair and pessimism…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that the most important thing to do in post-trauma communication with a child is not to lead them to despair and pessimism: 'The most important thing we can do in post-trauma communication with a child is not to lead them to despair and pessimism. The child looks at their parents. If they are not hopeless or pessimistic, if they are standing strong, enduring, the child also learns to endure. Therefore, in natural disasters, man-made disasters, or the loss of a loved one, a child imitates behavior, not what is said. Individuals who do not feel they have a safe space around them cannot overcome the trauma they experience. Post-traumatic stress disorders, anxieties, depressions, and many illnesses lead to problems in later years. Therefore, the magic concept here is to resolve the situation with that person through special communication, making them feel that you are by their side, without letting them fall into hopelessness and pessimism. When that child feels there is someone they trust by their side, they tolerate that trauma,' he stated.
“Being an active listener is important…”
Tarhan, also answering questions from students, responded to a question about what a teacher's attitude and approach should be towards a child who has experienced trauma: 'Guidance counselors have an important role here. It is a good thing for the child to talk about the trauma. One should listen without giving any answers; being an active listener is important. When there is active communication, what we call active communication, where there is eye contact, nodding occasionally to show understanding, repeating the last word heard and asking again, the child says, 'My teacher understood me.' If you make them say 'My teacher understood me,' you've succeeded 50 percent. Even the child having shared has a therapeutic effect in trauma,' he said.
Reporter: Eda Nur Keçeci
Photo: Ceyda Nur İshakoğlu