Trauma and School

Performance
 INTRODUCTION

 One out of every 4 children attending school has been

exposed to a traumatic event that can affect learning or
behavior.
 Trauma impacts student:
 Cognitive Processing

 Behavior

 Social-Emotional Functioning

http://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/Child_Trauma_Toolkit_Final.pdf
 WHAT IS TRAUMA?

• According to the American Psychological Association (APA),

trauma is simply defined as an emotional response to a
terrible event.
• There tend to be 3 common elements in trauma:
1. It was unexpected.
2. The person was unprepared.
3. There was nothing the person could do to stop it from
happening. [1]
TRAUMATIC LIFE EVENTS
 PREVALENCE

• In a nationally representative survey of 12 - to 17-year-olds, 8% reported a

lifetime prevalence of sexual assault, 17% reported physical assault, and 39%
reported witnessing violence. [2]
• 26% of children in the USA will witness or experience a traumatic event
before they turn four.
• Among 536 elementary and middle school children surveyed in an inner city
community, 30% had witnessed a stabbing and 26% had witnessed a
shooting. [4]
• 20% of children witnessed violence in their family or neighborhood during the
previous year.
• 60% of adults report experiencing abuse or other difficult family
circumstances during childhood. [4]
 STATISTICS
People who have experienced trauma are:
• 15 times more likely to attempt suicide
• 4 times more likely to become an alcoholic and inject drugs
• 4 times more likely to develop a sexually transmitted disease
• 3 times more likely to use antidepressant medication
• 3 times more likely to be absent from work
• 3 times more likely to experience depression
• 3 times more likely to have serious job problems
• 2.5 times more likely to smoke
• 2 times more likely to have a serious financial problem (4)
 IMPACT OF TRAUMA ON COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
Trauma can change the structure
and functioning of the brain
Trauma may interfere with:
 Attention and Concentration
 Memory and Recall of Information
 Planning and Organizing
 Problem-Solving skills
 Verbal Ability
 IMPACT OF TRAUMA ON
BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT
Externalizing Behaviors
 Defiant, aggressive, combative, disruptive/
attention seeking or risk-taking behaviors
Internalizing Behaviors
 Staring off/withdrawal/avoidance, increased
truancy, disturbed sleep, loss of appetite
Interpreting non-threating events as
hostile leading to overreactions
 “Blowing up” when being corrected by an
authority figure
 Picking fights over perceived hostility.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. http://www.nctsn.org

 IMPACT OF TRAUMA ON
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL
Internalizing Responses to Trauma Externalizing Responses to Trauma
• Guilt/Shame/Humiliation/Hopelessness • Withdrawal from friends or activities

• Anxiety, fear, and worr y about safety • Over- or under-reacting to bells, physical

• Numbness (no feeling about the event) contact, door s slamming, sirens, lighting,

• Low Self-Esteem (thinking of self as victim) sudden movements, or even directives

• Worr y about recurrence of event • Inability to interpret and respond

appropriately to social cues
• Hyperarousal/Hyper vigilance

• Somatic complaints (e.g., headaches,

stomachaches, overreaction to minor injuries)

https://www.dcp.wa.gov.au/ChildProtection/ChildAbuseAndNeglect/Documents/ChildDevelopmentAndTraumaGuide.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF20FaQzYUI
 VIDEO DISCUSSION/FEEDBACK

 Take Away:

Foster BELONGINGNESS/CONNECTEDNESS

Consider asking: “What happened to you” NOT “What’s wrong with you”
 TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN HELP
 Maintain usual routines.
 Give children CHOICES and CONTROL.
 Increase the level of support and encouragement given to the traumatized child.
 Set clear, firm limits for inappropriate behavior and develop logical —rather than
punitive— consequences.
 Recognize that behavioral problems may be transient and related to trauma.
 Provide a safe place for the child to talk about what happened.
 Warn children if you will be doing something out of the ordinary (e.g., turning of f
lights)
 Shorten assignments or allow additional time to complete assignments
 Provide additional support for organizing and remembering assignments
 TIPS ON HOW YOU CAN HELP

• Give simple and realistic answers to the child’s questions about traumatic events.
• Be sensitive to the cues in the environment that may cause a reaction in the
traumatized child.
• Anticipate dif ficult times and provide additional support.
• Be aware of other children’s reactions to the traumatized child and to the
information they share.
• Understand that children cope by re -enacting trauma through play or through their
interactions with others.
• Refer out as needed:
• When reactions are severe (such as intense hopelessness or fear) or go on for a long
time ( 1+ month) and interfere with a child’s functioning, give referrals for
additional help.
RESOURCES