11.4: Triggers
- Page ID
- 215523
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A "trigger" is something that leads a person to take an action. People are triggered to eat a snack by the smell of appealing food (popcorn, French fries, cinnamon rolls, etc.) upon entering an establishment. People are triggered to go to the kitchen for a drink or snack by watching TV commercials which feature certain foods. In relation to child abuse, children may be triggered to remember a suppressed incident or feeling by an unexpected emotional or physical sensation (a certain color car goes by, they smell a specific cologne, they see someone with certain physical features, etc.) Child abusers may be triggered by something to commit the abuse.
Research has shown that certain societal triggers have a direct correlation to the number of child abuse cases. For example, when gas prices increase by $1/gallon, when a smaller than expected tax refund is received and when report cards are sent home, child abuse cases show a marked increase. There is a clear connection between abuse and financial hardship. Research also shows that the most prevalent cause of infant abuse is that the infant was crying. Infants are supposed to cry… it is one way that they communicate; it is up to the adults to take control of their own emotions and behavior. Parenting can be stressful at times… parents must be in control of their own behaviors.
"Angry kid" by barekim is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Once a perpetrator has identified his/her triggers, it is easier to avoid or manage them. For instance, if a perpetrator identifies a school bus as his trigger to seek out and molest young children, he should obviously avoid encountering school buses. There may be a behavior modifier that can help in the case that he may see a school bus. If a parent identifies that a crying baby is a trigger to afflict harm to the child, a behavior modifier can be introduced to help the parent manage these feelings. Affective therapists can work with perpetrators to identify triggers and behavior modification techniques. Remember that the therapy and treatment goals are often not to cure a person, but to help them manage the situation so that they do not abuse again.