Many people think that children are resilient and will overcome almost anything that they have to face. While it’s largely true that they can bounce back from a lot of things, certain traumatic events — like a dog attack — might not be so easy to overcome.
Some children face significant mental health issues when they suffer from scarring as a result of a dog attack. They may have psychological distress when they see the scars because of the memories that come with them.
WHY WOULD THE SCARS TRIGGER EMOTIONAL STRESS?
The scars from a traumatic event are visual reminders of what happened. For children, this can be the memories of the attack, but it can also involve the medical care that was necessary after the attack. On top of that, others might see the scars and want to know what happened. This could lead to the child having to re-live the event time and time again.
About half of all dog bite cases each year involve children. Significant scarring can occur from bite wounds, which is something the child will have to live with for the rest of their life. Unfortunately, these bites and resulting scars are likely to occur on the face where the scars are difficult to hide.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO REDUCE THIS STRESS?
When a child is bitten by a dog, they may need to undergo mental health counseling. In some cases, medical repairs of the scars might be possible. These assistive measures can help to minimize the appearance that reminds the child of the attack and help them to learn how to cope with the trauma. These options can be costly, so parents might opt to pursue a claim for compensation if the dog attack was due to owner negligence.