Braxton Stewart’s Updates
Update #2: Childhood Trauma, Development, and the Need for Trauma-Informed Schools
As we can see from these visuals from Child Trends and the Association of American Indian Physicians, childhood trauma-- serious adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which result from experiences in a child's environment-- has the potential to negatively impact a child in numerous ways, including the ability to shorten an individual's life-span. Considering its potential to affect the whole of an individual-- behavior, brain development, cognition, relationships, etc.-- childhood trauma "is a grave psychosocial, medical, and public policy problem that has serious consequences for its victims and for society" (De Bellis & Zisk, 2014).
This is especially true when we consider how many adults have reported experiencing adverse childhood experiences during their childhood. From the infographic below from the CDC, we see that about 64% of adults report having experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, with near 38% having experienced at least two. Knowing that such a significant number of our population have the potential to be affected by childhood trauma, and knowing the tremendous negative effects trauma can have on development, we must work towards addressing trauma in our schools and society, in general.
Schools need to work to mitigate the effects of trauma on students by creating trauma-informed schools. Trauma-informed schools are filled with adults-- not just teachers-- who are able to recognize and effectively respond to children who have been impacted by traumatic stress (Treatment and Services Adaptation Center, 2020). Teachers often become frustrated by students who act out, talk back, refuse to do work, etc.; they may believe that such acts of defiance are simply demonstrations of the child's individual will-- something the child has complete control over. This can lead to teachers acting punitively towards students who are actually demonstrating manifestations of traumatic stress and need an empathetic approach.
It is known that motivation for "good" behavior comes from a strong inner self (Payne, R., 2018). Students who experience trauma do not normally have a strong inner self; rather, they have a weak inner self tied to an unregulated and unintegrated brain as a result of experienced trauma (Payne, R., 2018). Students suffering from trauma may demonstrate emotional break-downs, defiance, or generally "bad" behavior. If a teacher does not recognize that the behavior a student is demonstrating-- especially if it is repeated behavior-- is a potential symptom of trauma, the trauma may go unrecognized, and the teacher may even exacerbate it by reinforcing a student's weak inner self (Payne, R. 2018).
As a special education teacher who teaches students with severe social/emotional disorders, I can speak to childhood trauma becoming an increasing issue. Each year we see more and more children diagnosed with severe social/emotional disorders being sent to our school-- I teach at an alternative school in a special education district. While more and more are being diagnosed, I also recognize that there are many children who have experienced trauma that are not diagnosed and never will be diagnosed; there are also children who may not have an identifiable disorder but who still have suffered from traumatic stress. Unfortunately, most teachers are not trained to recognize such students; if they are, oftentimes the teacher may not have the time or the resources to adequately help the student.
Childhood trauma is not something that will go away; it is a product of environment, and most children are unable to escape the environments that cause their trauma. This is why we need trauma-informed schools. Perhaps a teacher cannot change a child's home situation, but a teacher can be a person to trust. A teacher can teach a child coping skills and help them navigate traumatic stress. Sometimes, a teacher-- or other school employees, like social workers-- can even help parents recognize that they are creating a traumatic environment for their child-- not every trauma is intentional-- and help them work to change this. Regardless, it is clear this is an issue that cannot be ignored, and schools have the ability to take responsibility to address this issue and should do so.
Below, I am including a video detailing the impact that trauma or "toxic stress" can have on a child's brain development:
(Center on the Developing Child Harvard University, 2011)
Sources:
Association of American Indian Physicians. (2020). ACEs toolkit [Infograph]. https://www.aaip.org/programs/aces-toolkit/
Bartlett, J. & Steber, K. (2019, May 9). How to implement trauma-informed care to build resilience to childhood trauma [Infograph]. https://www.childtrends.org/publications/how-to-implement-trauma-informed-care-to-build-resilience-to-childhood-trauma
Center for Disease Control (CDC). (2016). ACE study survey data [Infograph]. https://www.ucsf.edu/sites/default/files/styles/2014_inline_4-col/public/fields/field_insert_file/news/number-of-adverse-experiences.jpg?itok=oHO1aAWF
Center on the Developing Child Harvard University. (2011, September 29). Toxic stress derails healthy development [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVwFkcOZHJw&feature=youtu.be
De Bellis, M. & Zisk, A. (2014). The biological effects of childhood trauma. Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America, 23 (2), 185–222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2014.01.002
Payne, R.K. (2018). Emotional poverty in all demographics: How to reduce anger, anxiety, and violence in the classroom. Aha! Process, Inc.
Treatment and Services Adaptation Center. (2020). What is a trauma-informed school? https://traumaawareschools.org/traumaInSchools#:~:text=In%20a%20trauma%2Dinformed%20school,teachers%2C%20staff%2C%20and%20parents.
