The Boy Who Was Raised as A Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook

Science News,  Feb 17, 2007  

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THE BOY WHO WAS RAISED AS A DOG: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook

BRUCE D. PERRY AND MAIA SZALAVITZ

Until the early 1980s, children were viewed as naturally resilient--capable of bouncing back from stress and trauma. However, research since then with animals has shed light on the connections among experiences of abuse, neglect, or other trauma and a child's mental and physical growth. Perry, a child psychologist, asserts that his clinical experiences with children from various circumstances reveal that stress permanently affects children's brains. He recounts in heart-wrenching detail stories of a 3-year-old placed in witness protection after being present at her mother's murder, of the young survivors of the Branch Dividian-cult conflagration, of a baby deprived of all physical contact, and still other traumatized children. Each of these children was referred to Perry because of assorted behavioral and physical deficits after horrific experiences. He emphasizes the need for patient, consistent, and loving care to bring these children back from the brink. Basic Books, 2006, 275 p., hardcover, $26.00.

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