Psychology and Trauma in Schools: How Can Teachers Help?

Teachers know first-hand how trauma can make learning nearly impossible for a student and they’ve seen how it has become increasingly more common among school-aged American students. As school shootings and gun violence have captured the attention of many, there’s a more significant problem lurking in the classroom. It’s the student chronically exposed to trauma, and it’s often masked by stigma and shame.

Consider this, “On average, only 25 percent of children with mental health needs receive services. Of those receiving care, 70—80 percent receive that care in a school setting.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Psychology also shows us that most humans are resilient in the face of trauma and students can flourish with the right support.

But how can teachers help?

I wanted to know, so I went digging and learned APA recently published the book, Creating Healing School Communities: School-Based Interventions For Students Exposed To Trauma. Its focus is on school-based interventions through frameworks like the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

To learn more, I reached out to the authors, Drs. Catherine DeCarlo Santiago and Tali Raviv to find out what school-based interventions mean for teachers and how they can help their students with trauma succeed.

Hunter: Thank you, Drs. Santiago and Raviv for this interview to help teachers learn more about trauma in schools. Your book discusses school-based intervention, but what is the teacher’s role in the Multi-Tiered System of Supports? Considering many teachers have a deep commitment to their students, but multiple priorities, what can teachers do to help?

Dr. Raviv: From my perspective, the most important role a teacher plays is developing a strong relationship and intimate knowledge of his or her students: as learners, as individuals, and as members of their classroom community.

The first step of becoming trauma-informed is to understand the ways in which some of the behaviors that concern teachers–reactivity, social withdrawal, tardiness, and absenteeism—may be manifestations of traumatic exposure.  Viewing student behaviors through a “trauma lens” rather than labeling students as defiant, disengaged, or unmotivated opens the door for considering alternative strategies to connect to and support students and respond to these behaviors.

Within the MTSS framework, teachers have a critical role to play at the universal (Tier 1) level, for all students, regardless of their exposure to trauma.

In our work with teachers and schools, we emphasize three key components that form the foundation for a trauma-sensitive classroom:

1. Creating safety (physical and emotional)
2. Emphasizing positive relationships
3. Supporting and teaching emotion regulation.

Within the MTSS framework, teachers are also in the best position to identify signs and symptoms that a child may need a referral to receive more targeted (Tier II) support from a mental health professional.  Many teachers have strong relationships with students and caregivers who might confide in them about stressful or traumatic experiences in the student’s life.

However, even without this specific knowledge, teachers can identify students with concerning changes from previous functioning, such as academic decline, worsening attendance, or withdrawal from activities that could signal a reason for concern.  Other students may not experience a change from previous behavior if their exposure is chronic but could benefit from additional screening for trauma exposure if their difficulties in academic engagement, social, and behavioral functioning are persistent and not responsive to classroom interventions.

Photo Credit: National Child Traumatic Stress Network, Creating Support, and Sustaining Trauma-Informed Schools; A System Framework,

Once a student has started participating in a Tier II or Tier III intervention, teachers can continue to impact the success of those interventions by supporting their continued attendance and participation (even if it may require some time outside of the classroom), asking about skills they are learning and encouraging them to implement them in the classroom, and praising the progress they see.

Dr. Santiago: I agree with Tali’s excellent summary. I would add that in some of our research, teachers have reported strong support for trauma-focused interventions in their schools and also requested some of the trauma education mentioned above. Many teachers are asking for tools and strategies to support their students. Teachers and school-based mental health providers can partner together to provide much-needed support for students exposed to trauma.

APA President Dr. Henderson Daniel, recently said, “While the tragic shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have shone a spotlight on students and trauma, many American schoolchildren experience all manner of trauma, day in and day out.”  Dr. Henderson Daniel’s point seems very relevant to your work. However, it also highlights a distinction between ongoing individual trauma and a singular traumatic event. Is the multi-tiered model appropriate in a situation like Parkland? Are there different types of trauma?

Dr. Raviv: As we note in our book, there is a wide range of experiences that are potentially traumatic. There are three dimensions that can help us assess the impact of exposure: chronicity, intentionality, and diffusion of exposure.

Chronicity
Examples of chronic exposure are ongoing physical or sexual abuse or living in communities that are high in crime and violence, while acute exposure includes a car accident or single assault.

Intentionality
Events such as bridge collapses or house fires would be accidental while sexual assault or terrorism are incidents that are intentionally caused by another.

Diffusion of Exposure
Incidents range from those that affect a single individual or family, as in domestic violence, to those that affect a larger community such as a natural disaster or mass shooting.

In general, chronic exposure, an exposure that is interpersonal or intentional in nature, and exposure that affects a large segment of the community have greater potential to have a broader impact on development, disrupt relationships, and interrupt social support networks.

While large-scale events like the Parkland or Las Vegas shooting get a good deal of media attention, the vast majority of traumatic exposure are not nearly as high profile and in fact, are often hidden due to shame and stigma. The argument for creating trauma-informed school environments, therefore, rests more on the prevalence of exposure to trauma—something that affects every community—than on high profile single events. Nevertheless, the sad truth is that schools also need to be prepared to respond to school-or community crises.

A final important note is that the vast majority of individuals will be resilient in the face of traumatic exposure. Humans have great potential to heal and even thrive in the face of adversity. Schools are a significant source for the promotion of factors that we know predict resilience: being a part of a safe and supportive community, having a strong connection to one or more supportive adults, and the provision of opportunities to build and develop academic, social, athletic, and artistic talents and skills.

Dr. Santiago: In addition to the important points raised above, I would add that the book does review strategies for responding to many forms of trauma, including school or community crises. Many of the interventions discussed in the book can help to promote resilience among students who have experienced different types of trauma.

How might a teacher work with their social worker, school counselor, or other clinician colleagues to get the multi-tiered program in place at their school?

Dr. Raviv: The creation of a trauma-informed environment is a whole-school process and must be embraced and valued at each and every level of the school. However, in my experience, it is frequently a small group of passionate individuals who have been exposed to some information that hits home and creates an “aha” moment—whether it be the TED talk by Nadine Burke Harris, the film, “Paper Tigers,” or a more personal experience, such as working with a student who has been impacted by trauma and seeing how effective treatment can transform their functioning.

Many such schools begin creating small teams to discuss and share information, for example through a book study or by scheduling a professional development presentation on the topic to raise awareness and interest and gain buy-in.

School-based mental health professionals play a critical role in these teams by bringing their knowledge about mental health and trauma into the conversation and partnering with classroom teachers to understand how to build in trauma-informed practices at each MTSS tier incrementally. Our book provides key roles for school-based mental health professionals at each level of implementation.

Dr. Santiago: In addition, once trauma-informed practices are introduced across each MTSS tier, teachers play an important role in sustaining such practices. For example, teachers may support the development of social-emotional skills in the classroom and play a key role in referring students to school-based mental health providers for screening and possible tier 2 interventions. Strong partnerships between teachers and school-based mental health providers promote trauma-focused interventions long-term.

If one searches the Internet, there are other resources available like the Treatment and Services Adaptation Center and Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators, this article from the Mighty, the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative, and Trauma-Informed Schools. Where do you see your research in this context?

Dr. Raviv: We are so excited to be part of a proliferation of resources that support schools in implementing trauma-informed practices. We have long viewed trauma exposure as a public health issue that requires a comprehensive approach and partnership between mental health practitioners, schools, pediatricians, and other youth development organizations to address effectively.

I believe this movement has reached a tipping point. We have reached a point where awareness of the impact of trauma has become more widespread in our society as a whole, and this brings an increased sense of urgency to begin to find solutions that can help children heal and thrive. This is not solely a ‘mental health’ problem, and it requires more than ‘mental health’ solutions.

Every individual who interacts with children and adolescents has a role to play in the solution, with that role varying based on whether the individual is a member of the clergy, a teacher, a school social worker, or a parent.

The resources listed above, many of which we reference in our book, are all fantastic. They can help a variety of audiences, including teachers and administrators, get information and plan some concrete actions that can help contribute to this movement. Our book is intended primarily to help school-based mental health professionals identify their roles and action steps, building upon knowledge from scientific research and school-based practice.

What experiences have you had with trauma in your classroom? What techniques did you use to help? Let us know in the comments below or share them with us on Twitter. We’re at @APAEducation.

Drs. Santiago and Raviv’s new book, Creating Healing School Communities: School-Based Interventions for Students Exposed to Trauma is available now at a 25% discount for all APA members and affiliates.