Many scholars have written about the issues faced by children who must grapple with various forms of trauma. Here, the work of Carlyle Van Thompson and Paul J. Schwartz¹, as well as Plumb, Bush, and Kershevich², is explored. Each of the two articles analyzes the affects of trauma on children in school, and how educators and other adults can help kids be successful.

The Problem

Plumb, Bush, and Kershevich describe trauma as being like “a virus” which causes “anxiety, impulsivity, aggression, sleep problems, depression, respiratory and heart problems, vulnerability to substance abuse, antisocial and criminal behavior.” This “virus” affects millions of people throughout the US, many of them children. In fact, the authors state that perhaps 20 million children are currently struggling with trauma that may stem from abuse and neglect at home, mental illness, or witnessed violence among other things.³

Thompson and Schwartz describe trauma in a similar way. In their work they specifically focus on the experiences of young men of color. The young men indicated that the same types of trauma Plumb, Bush, and Kershevich describe as a “virus” is a given in their lives. Many of the Black and Latino boys had come to believe that experiencing trauma during their lifetime was inevitable, especially the trauma that follows witnessing repeated acts of violence.⁴

The Effects

In both works, the authors recognize struggles in school, struggles controlling behavior, and struggles handling emotions as aftereffects of trauma. All of these effects can have detrimental effects on how children perform in school, but can also make life outside of school difficult. According to Plumb, Bush, and Kershevich, long-term effects of trauma include having trouble learning, making decisions, and regulating behavior. All of these effects may become issues in everyday life, as children may have difficulty interacting with the people around them. Many kids who repeatedly experience trauma are more likely to turn to unhealthy behaviors, such as self-harm, or be unable to express their emotions.⁵

Possible Solutions

Plumb, Bush, and Kershevich make many recommendations about how to improve schooling and educational policies to address the needs of children dealing with trauma. Their main recommendation is to create policies that support the creation of trauma-sensitive schools. These schools would have trauma-informed staff and faculty, social workers who are trained to help children who are affected by trauma, and discipline policies that are tailored to the needs of the student body.⁶

Thompson and Schwartz make similar recommendations, though theirs are more about improving individual classrooms as opposed to creating policy changes. These authors suggest creating safe spaces within schools, where kids who experience trauma will have a space to begin to recover. Through their study of several young men of color, Thompson and Schwartz noticed that the young men were better able to cope once they were in a classroom in which they were allowed to engage in activities that helped them deal with their emotions. Such activities included writing periodically and engaging with readings and materials that were relevant to their lives and experiences.⁷