Description:

Traumatic experiences have immediate and powerful effects on the human brain. This presentation explains how stress and trauma can alter brain functioning during sexual assaults and other traumas. Participants will learn about the key brain circuitries impacted by stress and trauma, including the prefrontal cortex and the defense and habit circuitries. Participants will gain increased understanding of brain-based experiences and behaviors – including why “reflexes and habits” is a better framework than “fight, flight, freeze, fawn.” This presentation provides a critical foundation for learning and applying trauma-informed responses with people who have been assaulted.

Presenter: 

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will be able to define key brain circuitries impacted by severe stress during traumatic experiences, from sexual assault to military combat. 
  • Participants will be able to name and describe common brain-based responses to sexual and other assaults. 
  • Participants will be able to explain why “reflexes and habits” is a better framework than “fight, flight, freeze, fawn” for understanding victim responses during assaults and for conducting effective investigations and prosecutions. 

This training has been approved for 1.5 VSP credit hours.

This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-25-GG-11292-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.

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