Child traumatic stress refers to the physical and emotional responses of a child to events that threaten the life or physical integrity of the child or of someone critically important to the child (such as a parent or sibling). Traumatic events can overwhelm a child’s capacity to cope. Children may feel terror and powerlessness; they may act out. The fact sheet provides information to understand the types of trauma, potential responses to the trauma and ways to support a child who has experienced trauma.