Trauma affects the body as much as the mind. When faced with danger, humans—like many animals—automatically respond in ways that aim to protect them. These responses are commonly categorized as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Understanding these reactions is crucial for youth workers, educators, and caregivers supporting children and young people who have experienced trauma.

Research in neuroscience and trauma-informed care highlights that these stress responses are automatic and protective. According to van der Kolk (2014), traumatic experiences can “trap” the nervous system in survival mode, leading to heightened reactions or difficulty calming down. Similarly, Perry (2006) emphasizes that children’s behavioural responses to trauma are often adaptive strategies rather than signs of misbehaviour.

What are the four stress responses?
  1. Fight – Confronting the threat directly. In humans, this might look like aggression, arguing, or resisting. In animals, it could be a lion defending its territory or a goose hissing to ward off danger.
  2. Flight – Escaping the threat to find safety. In humans, this can appear as running away, avoiding situations, or withdrawing. Animals such as deer, birds, or gazelles instinctively flee from predators.
  3. Freeze – Becoming still or immobilized when danger is overwhelming. This might show as “shutting down,” dissociation, or difficulty making decisions. Some animals, like rabbits or opossums, freeze to avoid detection.
  4. Fawn – Submitting or trying to please the threat to avoid harm. In humans, this may appear as people-pleasing, compliance, or over-accommodation. Certain animals use appeasement behaviours, like lowering posture or grooming, to prevent conflict.

These responses are natural survival mechanisms and not signs of weakness. Recognizing them helps adults respond with empathy and support rather than judgment.
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From research to practice: The Stress-Discovery Channel Poster

As part of our Facing Trauma toolkit, we developed the Stress-Discovery Channel poster, which shows animals reacting with fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. It helps children and youth learn about stress responses in a safe and engaging way. By using animals as metaphors, difficult topics can be explored indirectly, lowering the risk of children feeling exposed or pressured to talk about their own trauma.
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How the poster can be used:

  • Describe and categorise animals – Using the icons along the border (such as living area, colour, or characteristics), children describe and group the animals. This playful step sparks observation, curiosity, and conversation. The realistic illustrations make the poster both an engaging wildlife learning tool and an accessible way to begin talking about trauma.  
  • Connect to personal experiences – After exploring the animal reactions, children are invited to reflect on which responses feel familiar to them. They can also think about times when they have seen these behaviours in friends, family, or classmates. This not only helps them understand their own coping strategies but also builds empathy for how others react under stress.

By using animals as metaphors, the focus is shifted away from personal trauma, making the conversation safer while still providing meaningful insight.
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Learn how to use the toolkit

The Stress-Discovery Channel poster is one of ten posters in our Facing Trauma toolkit. To help professionals apply these tools safely and creatively, we offer an Open Training Day (in Dutch): a one-day training where youth workers, educators, and social professionals learn how to use the posters in practice.

👉 Explore the Facing Trauma toolkit and register for our next Open Training Day to learn how to use this poster and the other nine tools.
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Resources
  • van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
  • Perry, B. D. (2006). Applying Principles of Neurodevelopment to Clinical Work with Maltreated and Traumatized Children. In N. B. Webb (Ed.), Working with Traumatized Youth in Child Welfare (pp. 27–52). Guilford Press.
  • StreetSmart/MS: Facing Trauma Toolkit (https://www.street-smart.be/facing-trauma)  

This toolkit was co-financed by the European Union.