Trauma in Urban Schools

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We cannot separate what goes on outside of school from what goes on within (Anyon, 2014).1  Behaviors that we associate with trauma infiltrate the schoolhouse and influence how a student behaves, socializes, and performs in school. Teachers often misinterpret these trauma responses as intentional misbehavior, rebellion, or inattention (Terassi & Crain de Galarce, 2017).2  This is especially problematic because it has racial consequences. Black and Latino children experience more trauma than White children (Woodbridge et al., 2015).3 Residential segregation engenders a concentration of poverty, which in turn brings about a concentration of potentially traumatic sights and occurrences. Likewise, the historically rooted, pervasive, racist attitudes that Black and Latino students must confront can be traumatic.

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More needs to be done. School-aged children still have neuroplasticity (Terassi & Crain de Galarce, 2017).2   There is work to do within the education system; schools rarely screen students for trauma or provide the services and support that this vulnerable population needs (Woodbridge et al., 2015).3  But also, since what goes on in and out of school is so related, any support, education, and guidance that students and their loved ones receive from mentors and organizations outside of the schoolhouse could also be immensely helpful.

  1. Anyon, Jean. (2014) Radical possibilities: Public policy, urban education, and a new social movement. (2nd ed.). New York: Rutledge.
  2. Terassi, S. & Crain de Galarce, P. (2017, March 1). Trauma and learning in America’s classrooms. Phi Delta Kappan, 98(6), 35-41.
  3. Woodbridge, M.W., Sumi, W.C., Thornton, S.P., Fabrikant, N., Rouspil, K.M., Langley, A.K., & Kataoka, S.H. (2015). Screening for trauma in early adolescence: Findings from a diverse school district. School Mental Health 8, 89-105.

Images:

  1. School mental health conference: Trauma in our schools [photograph]. (2016). Retrieved April 27, 2017 from https://www.unmc.edu/cce/prev-conf/past2016/farley/school-mental-health/index.html
  2. Trauma sensitive schools in Kansas City want to teach communities to persevere [photograph]. (2014, October 23). Retrieved April 27, 2017 from http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article3332913.html#storylink=cpy