THE CHILD RAISED IN A DOG CAGE

The story of the child raised in a dog cage by Dr. Bruce D. Perry, in collaboration with journalist Maia Szalavitz, opens up a new concept of child mental health – where we first realize the devastating impact of traumatic events on children's brains and together seek a new path in the journey of healing for these children.

We have heard the saying: "Happy children use their childhood to embrace life. Unhappy children use their whole lives to heal their childhood." Childhood trauma is like a knife cutting into a young tree trunk. As time passed, the tree grew, the old knife wound no longer oozing sap but had become a long, hardened, rough scar that could never heal. With its theme of loss, love, and healing from traumatized children, "The Child Raised in a Kennel" by Dr. Bruce D. Perry, in collaboration with journalist Maia Szalavitz, opens a new concept of child mental health – where we first recognize the devastating impact of traumatic events on children's brains and together seek a new path in the journey of healing for these children.

Dr. Bruce D. Perry is a lecturer, clinical expert, and active researcher in child mental health and neuroscience. He is the author of over 500 articles, book chapters, and scientific proceedings, and has received numerous awards and honorary degrees. With the support of Maia Szalavitz, the book "The Child Raised in a Kennel," while containing a vast amount of neuroscience knowledge, is far from dry; instead, it is full of compassion and love thanks to the harmonious balance between storytelling and informational delivery.

The book selects typical cases from Dr. Perry's work, each case dissecting an issue regarding the impact of trauma on children. The stories in the book are arranged chronologically, providing an overview of the development of traumaology, the field of child psychiatry, and Dr. Perry's development as he and his colleagues researched, built, and successfully applied the Sequential Neurotherapy Model. Dr. Perry clarified the fact that only by understanding the development of the brain and the mechanisms of the mind can we hope to prevent and heal the mental suffering of children.

TRAUMA - THE UNHEALING SCARS OF A CHILD'S SOUL

Children are like blank sheets of paper; they don't have the right or the ability to paint their own "painting of life" during their early years. Growing up surrounded by love, like blossoming flowers in the beautiful spring, seems like a blessing. Because many children out there are unfortunately left with scribbled drawings, staining their childhood with darkness.

This is the story of Tina, a seven-year-old girl brought to Dr. Perry for treatment because of "aggressive behavior and inappropriate conduct towards her classmates." Does all this mean Tina was disobedient, had attention deficit disorder, or some other similar syndrome? Dr. Perry didn't think so. He delves deep into Tina's past to understand the trauma and damage caused by the sexual abuse she suffered for two long years, from the age of 4 to 6, at the age of 16, inflicted by a 16-year-old boy – the son of her caregiver. These traumas left extremely serious consequences and were the main cause of her later deviant behavior, and almost all attempts at treatment have failed to yield optimal results.

Or consider the story of the unfortunate little girl Sandy, as described by the author: “A three-year-old child, her throat slit, sobbing incessantly while trying to comfort and seek solace from the naked, bound, blood-soaked, and cold corpse of her mother. It's unimaginable how terrified, confused, and helpless she must have felt!” Sandy grew up with severe sleep problems and constant anxiety; she often fell into periods of daze or had aggressive and violent outbursts. According to the author, “we often think that children are inherently cruel and unintentional – and still assume that bullying is unavoidable – but the reality is far more complex.” Adults often scold and reprimand a misbehaving child, immediately seeking out “psychologists” and labeling them with one of several psychological syndromes – perhaps “attention deficit disorder” or “autism”… But with a compassionate eye, Dr. Perry points out that: “Troubled children often suffer from some kind of pain – and that pain makes them irritable, anxious, and aggressive. There is no magic short-term cure, only patient, loving, and consistent care. This is true for a three or four-year-old and also for a teenager.” So, is there any real effectiveness from purely pharmacological or psychotherapy methods in addressing the haunting traumas of these children? Is there a real path that reaches the hidden corners of their souls to help them begin a healing journey? This is what Dr. Perry has been pondering for many years…

NO MEDICINE IS BETTER THAN LOVE

“At that time – and even now – there is a very common misconception about children and trauma, that “children are resilient.” However, “contrary to popular belief, children are actually far more vulnerable to trauma than adults. "The developing brain is the most malleable and sensitive to experiences – both good and bad – that occur in early life."

Having directly worked with many traumatized children, Dr. Perry understands better than anyone the fears, wounds, and difficult healing process these children face. According to Dr. Perry, healing should begin in the brain. The brains of traumatized children can be reshaped by repeated, patterned experiences in a safe environment. When neural patterns are repeated, occurring simultaneously or concurrently, a connection is formed between these patterns. If these connections bring pleasant feelings, a positive cycle is initiated.

Through his writings, Dr. Perry has illuminated the fact that only by understanding brain development and the mechanisms of the mind can we hope to prevent and heal the emotional pain of children. This is what children experience. What trauma and abuse need most is a healthy community to soothe the pain, suffering, and loss caused by the trauma.

“What heals is anything that increases the quantity and quality of their relationships. What helps them is loving care that is consistent, patient, and repeated. And I also want to add that children don’t need well-meaning but poorly trained mental health ‘experts’ who rush to them immediately after a traumatic event, or force them to ‘open up’ or ‘vent’.”

In some television programs related to adolescent psychology, when asked what children need from their parents, the majority answer is time. Many parents believe that financial conditions are the most important thing in raising children, forgetting the importance of spending time with their children. However, care and love are the best medicine for a child's development. This is especially important for children who have experienced trauma. This is clearly demonstrated in the story of a juvenile delinquent mentioned in the book – a child who spent his entire childhood so lonely and lacking in affection that he had no concept of love or compassion. Most people looked at him with the same cold gaze they usually give other dangerous criminals. But deep within his soul was the image of a wounded child fighting, struggling for warmth for himself.

According to Dr. Perry, the more healthy relationships a child has, the more likely they are to recover from trauma and thrive. Relationships are agents of change, and the most effective therapy is human love.

"Children, just like us adults, will react negatively to things they don't know, things that are strange and unfamiliar to them, especially when we ourselves are trying to adapt to a new situation, such as at the beginning of a school year. When children understand why someone is behaving strangely, they generally become more tolerant of that person. The younger the child, the more easily they are influenced by signals of rejection and acceptance from adults."

FLOWERS ON THE CLIFF

Although the children in the book have experienced many heartbreaking tragedies, most of the stories have happy endings. From them, we learn valuable lessons about loss, love, and healing. As Dr. Perry shared: "Surprisingly, when wandering through the emotional graveyards caused by the darkest parts of human nature, we often also find the most beautiful aspects of humanity." These children are more extraordinary than we can imagine. Perhaps the saying "children have the capacity to heal themselves" can be understood in another way: that they possess immense inner strength, like an undercurrent needing a trigger to surge. And we—the adults—are so fortunate to contribute to their "victory"—these beautiful and vibrant flowers. Moreover, the children's stories also help adults – parents, teachers, social workers, policymakers, law enforcement, or anyone working with children – to better understand what children need from us, so that they can build a system of care and protection for the healthy development of children.

Immediately after its publication, the book was quickly embraced by readers with many positive reviews. To date, "The Child Raised in a Dog Kennel" has been translated into more than fifteen languages and included in many university curricula. Along with this, the Neuro-Sequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) has also continuously attracted public attention.

Regarding the book, author Andrew Vachss – founder and advisory board member of PROTECT: National Child Protection Association – offered insightful and objective comments: “The Child Raised in a Kennel is Bruce Perry’s greatest work… It gives readers the chance to unlock the deepest mystery of our species: Why some children grow up to be heroes and others to be bloodthirsty antisocials. Anyone who wants to understand childhood trauma and its heartbreaking consequences needs to read this book.”

Join me on this arduous and challenging journey of healing, mending the small world to heal the larger world with these children – the future generations struggling in the storms of life. And who knows, on the busy road of life, we may be able to reach out and take a small hand, giving them warmth and love, helping them dispel the dark shadows of trauma and hurt. From then on, the trees will turn green again, and the flowers will bloom again, even on the barren cliffs…