‘Joker’ movie shows audiences the painful truth about the impact of childhood trauma | Opinion (2024)
What does the DC Comics film “Joker” have to do with early childhood mental health? In a word: everything.
“Joker,” the highest-grossing R-rated film in history, masterfully chronicles the devolving trajectory of the infamous villain in the “Batman” series. The movie injects elements of humanity and social commentary as it relates to mental illness. As an early childhood mental health advocate at the Erikson Institute, a Chicago graduate school and policy hub focused on young children, I was reminded of the enduring impact of early childhood experiences. The importance of relationships and the critical impact clinical programs and services make were apparent throughout the film.
Young children experience the world through relationships, and Joker did not receive the love and support we all need. He experienced physical abuse and neglect by his stepfather. He was adopted by a woman who was living with her own mental illness, which prevented her from being the nurturing force he needed. These relationships could have made him feel safe and protected and buffered his trauma, but instead were limited and empty.
Toxic stress had a profound impact on shaping Joker into a man all too quick to commit violent, unspeakable acts. When the brain’s and body’s stress response system is overactivated by danger and survival during childhood, the effect can be devastating.
Decades of brain science have proven that early and chronic exposure to trauma can literally get under our skin. Biological memories are formed that can harm the architecture of our brains. This is especially true in the first five years of life, when 90% of the brain is developed.
Trauma comes in many forms, but it often shows up as toxic stress through exposure to community violence. Analysis from Erikson’s Community Data Lab shows that in 2018, the majority of children under 5 in Chicago live in communities where 90% of the city’s homicides occur. Yes, trauma and stress are felt and experienced by children even if they do not directly witness a violent incident in their midst.
The film also provides a nuanced analysis of the role of clinical supports provided by public entities. In one exchange between Joker and his social worker, she explains that because of budget cuts, her services and his access to medicine would end. His pleas for help are met with her own frustrations in the broken system.
From that point forward, his fragile world begins to further unravel. He is unable to maintain his job, which has an impact on his ability to care for his mother. This increases his need to manage stress, yet the previous resources he relied on were no longer available. Unfortunately, this is not just a fictitious scenario that happens to movie villains. Restricted access to public mental health services is happening too frequently.
We have a duty to craft and implement plans that put the well-being of young children at the forefront. Our task is to call for funds to support the mental health needs of children starting from birth. The science provides evidence of the benefits and effectiveness of intervening early, an idea that draws bipartisan support.
As millions of moviegoers watch “The Joker,” they see how all too often we are willing to tolerate systems and services that fail to address the mental health needs of children — and how they and others ultimately suffer the consequences.
Cristina Pacione-Zayas is associate vice president of policy at the Erikson Institute of Chicago. This piece originally ran in the Chicago Tribune.
Having a life full of trauma does not excuse Arthur's behaviors. His story helps viewers understand how an individual fictional character was impacted by and reacted to ongoing childhood trauma
childhood trauma
“Child trauma” refers to a scary, dangerous, violent, or life threatening event that happens to a child (0-18 years of age). This type of event may also happen to someone your child knows and your child is impacted as a result of seeing or hearing about the other person being hurt or injured.
Arthur was brought up by a foster mother and did not have a father figure. The foster mother herself describes him growing up as a fun and kind boy, but later he was abused and beaten by his adoptive parents and even had a severe head injury.
Joker deals with many thematically disturbing elements — mental health, political violence, and an “incel”-like protagonist. Despite these concerns surrounding the Joker movie controversy, the movie did not inspire violence. Quite the opposite actually.
In fact, research has shown that child trauma survivors may experience: Learning problems, including lower grades and more suspensions and expulsions. Increased use of health and mental health services. Increase involvement with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
The most serious instances of childhood trauma (also known as adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs) include neglect, physical or sexual abuse, natural disasters, witnessing intimate partner violence, and school violence.
The physical abuses Arthur suffered as a child scarred him for life and are the key to understanding why he becomes the Joker once his life seems unbearable to him.
“Joker” conveys an idea, and boiled down to one word it is “compassion.” You might even say that compassion is the movie's superpower. Writer-director Todd Phillips says, “I love the complexity of Joker and felt his origin would be worth exploring on film, since nobody's done that.
Critics contended that, by making a story centered on the struggles, anger, and vengefulness of a depressed man, the filmmakers would inspire more depressed people to go out and commit the crimes Joker does on screen.
Actually, the film Joker highlights such important social problems, as social inequality and the power of dominant ideology which masks it and justifies the social hierarchy that generates this inequality. The character of Joker in the film is used to subvert this ideology and to reveal the truth about injustice.
In univariate analyses, all 5 forms of childhood trauma in this study (ie, witnessing violence, physical neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse) demonstrated statistically significant relationships with the number of different aggressive behaviors reported in adulthood.
The world's largest brain study of childhood trauma has revealed how it affects development and rewires vital pathways. The University of Essex study -- led by the Department of Psychology's Dr Megan Klabunde -- uncovered a disruption in neural networks involved in self-focus and problem-solving.
Retrospective studies have also found earlier abuse (before age 5 18, before age 12 19,20,21, or before age 17 22) or trauma (between 4–6 23 and before age 12 19,20) particularly elevates risk for depressive symptoms and major depressive disorder.
“This is because trauma has profound effects on the nervous, endocrine and immune systems — it can fundamentally alter the way our bodies function. Over time, this causes wear and tear on the body that can lead to pain.”
While flashbacks can occur in the old and young, age exacerbates these symptoms due to increased memory loss and alterations regarding context of past trauma. Age also affects the impact of physical symptoms on your body.
These episodes are excessive, inconsistent with or disproportionate to circ*mstances or the patient's underlying mood at the time. In Joker's case, pseudobulbar affect probably occurred secondary to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Young children experience the world through relationships, and Joker did not receive the love and support we all need. He experienced physical abuse and neglect by his stepfather. He was adopted by a woman who was living with her own mental illness, which prevented her from being the nurturing force he needed.
The above-mentioned characteristics make the Joker's laughing episodes compatible at first sight with the pseudobulbar affect, a clinical entity characterized by episodes of exaggerated or involuntary expression of emotions, including uncontrolled laughing or crying.
Besides having schizophrenia, Arthur Fleck was also identified as having Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA) disease. Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA) is a condition in which a person cannot control their laughter or crying.
Address: 787 Elvis Divide, Port Brice, OH 24507-6802
Phone: +9779049645255
Job: Senior Healthcare Specialist
Hobby: Cycling, Model building, Kitesurfing, Origami, Lapidary, Dance, Basketball
Introduction: My name is Sen. Emmett Berge, I am a funny, vast, charming, courageous, enthusiastic, jolly, famous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
