Trauma
Trauma in Schools
Many different things can be considered “traumatic”. Trauma refers to experiences that are overwhelming and may leave a person feeling helpless, vulnerable or very frightened.
Traumatic experiences are overwhelming, lead to strong negative emotions such as shame, helplessness, and fear, involve some degree of experiences or witnessed a threat to self, whether that threat is physical, mental, or emotional.
Trauma is highly individualized and can look different in different people. Even two siblings who have experienced the same traumatic event can respond differently.
Just as an earthquake can cause deep foundation cracks that are the hidden cause of a building’s instability even decades later, Complex Trauma can disrupt healthy development and is often the unseen cause of many problems and difficulties youth face years later that are not obviously connected to early childhood experiences.
Although the abilities in the “survival brain” make it possible for youth to get through very difficult, scary, or lonely times, these survival skills can cause problems once they become habits or when you use them when you don’t really need them. EX: If I'm walking down the hallway and somebody bumps into me, and I don't have a significant trauma history, I'm going to say ‘Oh, sorry, excuse me’. Whereas a kid who's been exposed to trauma on an ongoing basis, if somebody bumps into them that might be a threat. From there, the survival brain kicks in and reasoning and logic shut down.
Understanding Trauma
Helpful Links & Trauma Resources
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Fostering Resilient Learnersby Kristin Souers with Pete Hall Year Published: |
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Helping Traumatized Children Learnby Mass Advocates for Children Year Published: |
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Supporting and Educating Traumatized Studentsby ric Rossen & Robert Hull Year Published: |
Understanding Trauma in High School Presentation
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