Whether they are agitated, oppositional, or unruly, the turbulence and turmoil of adolescents sometimes exceed the typical predicaments faced at puberty. They pertain to another realm : that of terror. These children and adolescents, scorched by life, can act out in exceedingly violent ways. Given the repeated breaks to their protective shield, early maternal deprivation and violence, how can these children access symbol formation ? How do they forge their own sense of subjective identity ? The degree of violence of these adolescents both astounds and engages us. Throughout this article, the author explores the articulation between literature, self writing and the subjectivation process, and illuminates the ways in which self writing can be therapeutic and salutary for children who have been afflicted by terror.