Breaking the cycle: Helping survivors of child abuse heal with trauma-informed care

When Rose’s* mother remarried after years of being a single parent, the young girl was ecstatic.   

She imagined their new life together—dinners filled with laughter, watching her parents dance in the kitchen while she did homework, a father figure who would bandage scraped knees and read bedtime stories.  

But when they moved into her stepfather’s home in Kigali, Rwanda, that peaceful dream shattered—leaving her trapped in a horrifying nightmare. 

The hands she hoped would help her became the ones that hurt the most: Rose’s stepfather began to beat her. Her mother, experiencing the same devastating violence, couldn’t protect her. And since her stepfather forced Rose to stay home doing chores instead of attending school, she had no break from the relentless abuse.  

Rose lived in a constant state of panic and pain. Terrified her stepfather’s next fit of rage would kill her, the 13-year-old girl fled for her life.  

But with nowhere to go and no family to protect her, Rose was forced to live on the streets.  

“I can’t describe such a life,” Rose said, tears streaming down her face. “Living on the streets felt like living in hell. People abuse you and you can’t sleep because you live in constant fear.” 

Rose’s story could have ended there—another child growing up alone, grappling with trauma and wondering if anyone loved her. But because of people like you, Rose can rewrite her future. 

Rose was rescued and welcomed into a safe home at SOS Children’s Village in Rwanda while SOS worked to support her mother in reclaiming her own safety and creating a stable, healthy environment for Rose to grow.  

Learn more about how you can prevent child abuse. 

Although SOS guaranteed Rose was physically safe and emotionally nurtured in her new home—with a loving caregiver, professional health care, nutritious food, access to quality education and everything else she needed to thrive—her healing was far from over. 

How childhood trauma affects brain development 

Rose’s trauma didn’t end when she found safety. It lived on in her mind and body, damaging her development. 

The abuse she experienced falls under what experts call Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), traumatic events that occur before age 18. ACEs trigger toxic stress—the prolonged or repeated activation of the body’s stress response system.  

Toxic stress disrupts healthy brain development, affecting language, attention, decision-making, memory and other executive functions. Toxic stress is also linked to chronic diseases, and adults who have experienced ACEs are at an increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and even some cancers.    

Without the presence of a loving, trusted adult to help a child regulate this response, healthy brain and body development suffer profoundly.   

Learn more about how childhood trauma shapes lifelong health.  

But there is hope. Because data shows that stable, loving family environments can rewire a child’s brain, helping them heal even after experiencing severe trauma. 

How loving relationships help heal childhood trauma 

Research highlights that Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs), including the safe, stable and nurturing relationships a child forms with family, friends and others in their community, can mitigate or even reverse trauma’s devastating effects.  

These relationships build resiliency, encourage healthy brain development and alleviate the effects of toxic stress—even for children who have experienced multiple ACEs.   

The science is remarkable: a loving family can actually help rewire a child’s brain—for the better. 

Learn more about the science behind love’s impact. 

That’s why Rose—and other children growing up in SOS villages—have more than just safe places to live.  

Caregivers, professionally trained in trauma-informed care, know that healing takes more than just physical safety. Children like Rose need the stable, loving family and mental health resources that research shows are essential to recovering from trauma. 

This includes Ihumure, meaning comfort or reassurance, spaces in the SOS village in Rwanda. These safe spaces are designed to provide a warm, welcoming environment where children can play, heal and grow. With colorful walls, an abundance of toys and activities, and two SOS psychologists, children have the psychological support and positive childhood experiences that research shows they need to build resiliency and heal. 

Because of compassionate friends like you, Rose is experiencing the transformative power of a loving home and mental health care.  

Help more children like Rose heal from trauma 

While Rose is healing, another girl like her is still waiting for help.  

When you sponsor a child or donate to SOS Children’s Villages, you’re providing more than their basic needs—like food, education, professional health care and clothing—you’re giving children the loving, stable relationships that science proves can transform their entire future.   

Will you help a child heal in 2026? 

Together, we can ensure every child grows up in a safe, loving home—and that no child is left to deal with their trauma alone. 

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*Child’s name changed to protect privacy.