Abstract:
Trauma is any psychologically distressing event that an individual undergoes, whether
actual or threatened. As children grow up, they are exposed to traumatic experiences,
some of which remain unresolved. The myriad traumatic experiences in the childhood
developmental process are usually passed on to adulthood. This in turn makes young
adults to be vulnerable. The study sought to determine the effect of early childhood
traumatic experiences on early adulthood behaviour among college students in Eldoret
Town. The study was motivated by the fact that majority of young adults are living in the
consequences of their childhood exposure which could either be positive or negative. The
specific objectives of the study were; to find out the early traumatic experiences that
young adults in Eldoret town went through, to establish the effects of early traumatic
incidences on young adults in Eldoret town, to find out the relationship between early
traumatic experiences and young adult behavior, and to find out how young adults cope
with effects of childhood trauma in Eldoret town. The study was guided by Horowitz‟s
Stress Response Theory. The study applied a qualitative research approach and employed
the use of interviews and focus group discussions (FGD) for data collection. Purposive
sampling was used to identify the primary participants. A sample size of 26 respondents
was arrived at through the administration of a Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) to
identify respondents who had undergone childhood trauma and who were selected to
participate in the interview and FGD. Qualitative data analysis using Nvivo Software was
adopted to derive valid meanings from explanations and descriptions of data collected
from the respondents. The study revealed that young adults in Eldoret town experienced
myriad traumatic events in their childhood, especially death and divorce of parents and
caregivers. From the findings it was established that unresolved childhood trauma can
lead to fear, emotional distress, hopelessness and development of negative self-
perceptions as children grow up. Additionally, the findings showed that young adults who
had undergone childhood trauma presented aggressiveness, indulged in risky sexual
behavior and were involved in substance use and abuse. To counter the effects of
childhood trauma, various modes were applied by the young adults, however, there was
still the identification with suppression/repression of feelings as a coping mechanism.
The study concluded that young adults have experienced early childhood trauma in
various capacities which affect their behavioral tendencies, and which they have coped
with individually, albeit inadequately. The study recommended that institutions and
medical stakeholders organize workshops for young adults who have experienced
childhood trauma in order to address the effects arising from the traumatic experiences
and focus on providing them with healthy coping skills.