We all have that one happy memory that sticks  out to us from our childhood that we hold onto and never let go of. But what happens if it is a bad memory? A traumatizing one? Those are the ones we don’t not want to remember, and no matter how hard we try, forgetting isn’t an option.The poisoned things that retain in our minds can stem from a multitude of events. Some of which may have been triggered by violence and crime that individuals were exposed to.

Fourth largest country in the world. Third largest population. The world’s economic and leading superpower, and the sixth most dangerous country on Earth.The United States of America. Land of the free, home of the brave. Also home to violent crime in Los Angeles that has gone up by 20%, reaching an ultimate high since 2009.  Meaning that as crime and violence goes up, so does the amount of people that are affected by it. Including children who are more susceptible to experiencing long term anxiety leading to sleeping disorders , depression and PTSD in their adult lives that were exposed to a distressing event.

A traumatic event: An event foreboding death and threatening the welfare and security of self or others, causing a sense of helplessness and terror during the time of occurrence. Traumatic loss. Physical and sexual abuse. Domestic violence. Cruelty in school and community. Acts of terrorism. All very real and horrifying events that take place everyday, and have the ability to embed themselves in the minds of those involved. Sometimes after a certain problem is taken care of, such as arresting an abusive mother or the aftermath of a school shooting, it becomes easy to forget the post-effects it has on the children apart of it, if any at all. The problem with that is usually these memories are so vivid because they are still affecting them in their present life. Carried on into their adulthood.

This needs to stop being overlooked after a traumatizing situation itself is dealt with. Just because the perpetrator is in jail, doesn’t mean they left the children’s minds. Those who experienced trauma at young age receiving little support are 15 times more likely to attempt to commit suicide, 4 times more likely to become an alcoholic, and 3 times more likely to experience depression. No child should have to carry these horrible effects on their shoulders, effects that could follow them for the rest of their lives.

When situations such as crime scenes take place and there are children involved, that is the time when the authorities step up and remember that even when the worst seems to be over, it isn’t over for the kids. These children need someone to be there with them during and after these traumatic events occur to make sure they are capable of getting through it as smoothly as possible. Police officers and firefighters are the types of heroes many people look up to and find safety in when bad things happen, so who better than them to give a child in need a comforting friend.

A great way to help children caught in these traumatizing events would be to give them something to relieve them, such as a stuffed toy. Many American children are introduced to a stuffed animal at an early age, and almost 70% of these children develop an inseparable bond with them. The soft texture and sweet faces of the toys give children a sense of serenity. With all that goes on in a crime scene, officers could hand out stuffed toys to children involved that are scared or confused as to what is happening. This way the officers can get to work right away on the case, and be reassured that the child is calming themselves down with the aid of a fuzzy friend.

As these children grow up, they won’t so much as remember a haunting memory that scared them for life; what they will remember is furry friend who was there for them when they were alone.