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Using Conversation Analysis for Understanding Children’s Talk about Traumatic Events

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The Palgrave Handbook of Child Mental Health

Abstract

There is a wealth of research and literature investigating children’s traumatic experiences from a psychological perspective, whereas there is relatively less literature using a sociological approach that includes discourse, narrative, and conversation. This chapter aims to demonstrate the importance of investigating children’s trauma talk through this latter approach by providing a theoretical overview of literature that uses conversation analysis (CA) to explore children’s interactions related to trauma and associated mental health matters.

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Recommended reading

  • • Bateman, A., Danby, S., & Howard, J. (2013a). Everyday preschool talk about Christchurch earthquakes. Australia Journal of Communication — Special Issue: Disaster Talk, 40(1), 103–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • • Danby, S., Butler, C. W., & Emmison, M. (2011). ‘Have you talked with a teacher yet?’: How helpline counsellors support young callers being bullied at school. Children & Society, 25(4), 328–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • • Edwards, D., & Potter, J. (1993). Language and causation: A discursive action model of description and attribution. Psychological Review, 100(1), 23–41, doi:10.1037/0033-295X.100.1.23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • • Hutchby, I. (2007). The discourse of child counselling. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

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  • • Lamerichs, J., Koelen, M., & te Molder, H. (2009). Turning adolescents into analysts of their own discourse: Raising reflexive awareness of everyday talk to develop peer-based health activities. Qualitative Health Research, 19(8), 1162–1175.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

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Authors
  1. Amanda Bateman
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  2. Susan Danby
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  3. Justine Howard
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Leicester, UK

    Michelle O’Reilly (Senior Lecturer) (Senior Lecturer)

  2. Indiana University, USA

    Jessica Nina Lester (Assistant Professor) (Assistant Professor)

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© 2015 Amanda Bateman, Susan Danby, and Justine Howard

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Bateman, A., Danby, S., Howard, J. (2015). Using Conversation Analysis for Understanding Children’s Talk about Traumatic Events. In: O’Reilly, M., Lester, J.N. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Child Mental Health. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137428318_22

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