Trauma in Schools

Trauma is an emotional reaction to a horrible event such as an accident, violence, loss of relatives, or natural disaster. Immediately after the event, shock, and disaffirmation are typical. Longer-term reactions include unexpected emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and even physical symptoms like headaches or nausea. (American Psychological Association, 2013). It can be a difficult, troubling, or upsetting experience that we have had or seen happen to someone else. Sometimes we can be reminded about traumatic experiences when we do not expect them - these are called triggering experiences. These kinds of moments can be overwhelming, but we can empower ourselves to move through these triggers with control and skill. Conflict and trauma are a part of life, and they can be connected. When we understand conflict, we understand that sometimes conflict comes out of difficult, traumatic, or painful experiences of unmet needs (Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, 2021).

Teachers are urged to train their students to able them to be familiar with below two objectives:

A. Understanding and becoming aware of traumatic experiences

B. knowing how to navigate the emotions and physical responses they might have.

What is Trauma? (Psych Hub, 2021)

Types of traumas:

  • Child abuse and neglect

  • Physical emotional or sexual abuse

  • Grief and loss

  • Witnessing acts of violence

  • Medical interventions

  • Cultural integrational and historical trauma

  • War and other forms of violence

  • Accidents and natural disasters

Trauma Informed Practice (TIP)

Trauma-Informed Practice is a strengths-based model grounded in a realization of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma. It stresses physical, psychological, and emotional safety for everybody, and makes the chance for survivors to reconstruct a sense of control and empowerment (Ministry of Child and Family Development, 2020).

Trauma-informed schools and practices, (Science Animated, 2020)

Getting Started with Trauma-Informed Practices, (Edutopia, 2019)

Why TIP?

  • Supports integrating a foundational understanding of trauma into all levels of care to guide the work of staff including leaders, system planners, practitioners, caregivers, care providers, and our key partners working with children, youth, and families.

  • establish safe and secure environments for students and clients.

  • The guide’s content explains how each individual in the organization can be engaged, and how we can practice trauma-informed approaches to evolve programs, services, and environments that elude re-traumatizing people and support safety, choice, and control in order to advance remedial (Ministry of Child and Family Development, 2020).

Cognitive Behavior Interventions for Trauma in Schools – CBITS

  • The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) program is a school-based, group, and individual intervention.

  • It is designed to reduce symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and behavioral problems, and to ameliorate functioning, attendance, parent support, and coping skills.

  • CBITS has been applied in grades 05 to 12th-grade students who have experienced traumatic events including community and school violence, accidents and injuries, physical abuse and domestic violence, and natural and man-made disasters.

  • CBITS uses cognitive-behavioral techniques like psycho-education, relaxation, social problem-solving, cognitive restructuring, and exposure (CBITS | Home, n.d.).

Healthy Environments and Response to Trauma in Schools – HEARTS

HEARTS is an entire-school, prevention and intervention method that applies a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) model to diminish trauma and chronic stress at the student level, staff level, and school organizational level. The MTSS triangle following lists some of the supports provided by UCSF HEARTS across the three tiers when the full, site-based program is implemented (UCSF HEART, n.d.).

The goals of HEARTS include:

  • Increasing student wellness, engagement, and success in school

  • Building staff and school system capacities to support trauma-impacted students by increasing knowledge and practice of trauma-informed classroom and school-wide strategies

  • Promoting staff wellness through addressing burnout and secondary traumatic stress

  • Interrupting the school to prison pipeline through the reduction of racial disparities in disciplinary office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions.

HEART services are as follows:

1. Professional development training and consultation for school personnel and community partners

2. Workshops for parents/caregivers

3. Individual psychotherapy for trauma-impacted students.

HEARTS Multi-Tiered System of Supports, (UCSF HEART, n.d.)

Support for Students Exposed to Trauma – SSET

  1. (Support for Students Exposed to Trauma, n.d.) elaborate on the Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET), which is a school-based group intervention for students who have been exposed to traumatic circumstances and suffering from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

  2. This program is particularly designed to be used by teachers and school counselors.

  3. The program is a non-clinical adaptation of the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS).

  4. SSET is delivered in a comprehensive lesson plan format that is idealistic for educators.

  5. Students who, trained under the SSET program in 10 group lessons, will be equipped with a variety of skill-building techniques to reduce current problems with:

  • Anxiety or nervousness

  • Withdrawal or isolation

  • Depressed mood

  • Acting out in school

  • Impulsive or risky behavior

SSET also assists students to deal with real-life problems and stressors and increases levels of peer and parent support. The program has been assessed for use with middle school students ages 10-14 but will likely work well with students in late elementary through early high school