UNDERSTANDING
TRAUMA AND ITS IMPACT
E-RESOURCE COMPANION TRAINING
DISCLAIMER
This training package was designed and written under the U.S. Department of Education (Department)
Contract Numbers ED-ESE-12-O-0035 and ED-ESE-16-A-0002 by the National Center on Safe and
Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) operated by American Institutes for Research ®. Rita Foy Moss
served as the contracting officer’s representative (COR) for the NCSSLE technical assistance center. The
content and views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department and should
not assume endorsement by the Federal government. No official endorsement by the Department of any
product, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this publication is intended or should be inferred. For
the reader’s convenience, this publication contains information about and from outside organizations, including
material obtained by way of hyperlinks and URLs. Inclusion of such information does not constitute the
Department’s endorsement.
May 2018
This training package is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While
permission to reprint this product is not necessary, the following is the preferred citation:
Guarino, K. & Chagnon, E. (2018). Trauma-sensitive schools training package. Washington, DC: National
Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments.
TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOLS TRAINING
PACKAGE
• Implementation Guide
Provides overview of the purpose and components of the training package.
• Understanding Trauma and Its Impact
An interactive e-resource to provide all staff with general information about trauma and
companion slide presentation and activity packet for in-person training.
• Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools
An online module to help all staff learn how they can build a trauma-sensitive school in their
role. Includes a series of handouts to help reinforce concepts.
• Leading Trauma-Sensitive Schools
An online module to provide school leaders with a vision and strategies for adopting a
whole-school approach to trauma.
• Action Guide
A tool for helping school leaders and work groups create a custom roadmap for adopting a
trauma-sensitive approach school-wide.
UNDERSTANDING
TRAUMA AND ITS IMPACT
E-RESOURCE COMPANION TRAINING
UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA AND ITS IMPACT
• Part 1: What is Trauma and Who is Affected?
• Part 2: How Does the Stress Response
System Work?
• Part 3: What is the Impact of Exposure
to Trauma?
• Part 4: What Does This Mean for Schools?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Understand trauma in a broad and
inclusive way.
• Learn how the brain and body respond to
stress and trauma.
• Recognize the effects of trauma on
students, staff, and schools.
• Apply trauma knowledge to your daily work.
PART 1
What is Trauma and Who is Affected?
Definition of trauma | Types of trauma | Prevalence of childhood trauma
DEFINITION OF TRAUMA
The three “E’s” of trauma:
An event, series of events, or set of
circumstances that is experienced by an
individual as physically or emotionally
harmful or life threatening and that has
lasting adverse effects.
TYPES OF TRAUMA
• Natural disasters: hurricanes, fires, floods
• Human-caused disasters: accidents, wars,
environmental disasters, acts of terrorism
• Community violence: robberies, shootings, assault,
gang-related violence, hate crimes, group trauma
affecting a particular community
• School violence: threats, fights, school shootings,
bullying, loss of a student or staff member
TYPES OF TRAUMA
• Family trauma: abuse, neglect, experiencing or
witnessing domestic violence, incarceration of family
members, family substance abuse, sudden or expected
loss of a loved one
• Refugee and Immigrant trauma: exposure to war,
political violence, torture, forced displacement, migration
and acculturation stressors, fears of deportation
• Medical trauma: pain, injury and serious illness;
invasive medical procedures or treatments
• Poverty: lack of resources, support networks, or
mobility; financial stressors; homelessness
TYPES OF TRAUMA
Complex trauma:
1) Exposure to multiple traumatic events from
an early age; and
2) The immediate and long-term effects of these
experiences over development.
TYPES OF TRAUMA
Historical Trauma: “The cumulative emotional and
psychological wounding across generations, including
the lifespan, which emanates from massive group
trauma.” – Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart
Examples:
• American Indian and Alaska Native communities
• Communities of color
• Holocaust survivors
• Japanese-American survivors of internment camps
• LGBTQ communities
TYPES OF TRAUMA
Racial trauma: Potentially traumatic
experiences resulting from
• Direct experiences of racial harassment;
• Witnessing racial violence toward others; and
• Experiencing discrimination and
institutional racism.
PREVALENCE OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA
PREVALENCE OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA
• Groups at increased risk of exposure to trauma include:
• Youth of color ages 12 to 19;
• African American youth living in urban, low-income
communities;
• American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children and youth;
• Children and youth who have disabilities;
• Refugees;
• Children and youth who are homeless and living in poverty; and
• LGBTQ children and youth.
SUMMARY: PART 1
• Experiences become traumatic when they
overwhelm our ability to cope.
• Traumatic experiences come in many forms,
ranging from one-time events to experiences
that are chronic or even generational.
• Exposure to trauma in childhood is common.
• Risk for exposure to more than one type is high.
• Contextual factors increase risk for trauma.
PART 1: ACTIVITY/DISCUSSION
PART 2
How Do We Respond to Stress?
The Stress Response System | The Stress Response and Trauma |
Common Responses to Trauma for Youth | Triggers
THE STRESS RESPONSE SYSTEM
3
“Thinking brain”
Neocortex
2
Limbic System 1
“Emotional brain”
Brainstem
THE STRESS RESPONSE SYSTEM
1. The amygdala senses 3 “Thinking brain”
threat and sets off
the alarm. 2
2. Thinking brain assesses 1 4
the situation.
3. Thinking brain goes off-
line. Emotional brain
activates fight or flight
response. “Emotional
brain”
4. Thinking brain helps
shut off the alarm and
helps us to calm down.
THE STRESS RESPONSE AND TRAUMA
• An experience becomes 3 “Thinking brain”
TRAUMATIC when it
overwhelms our system 2
for responding to stress.
1 4
• The emotional brain
continues to sound the
alarm and send
messages to fight or
flee, even after the “Emotional
threat has passed. brain”
COMMON RESPONSES TO TRAUMA
Young Children 3
• Fear, anxiety, worry
2
• Changes in sleeping and eating 1 4
• Difficulty separating from caregivers
• Regressed behaviors (losing speech, wetting the bed)
• Reenacting aspects of the traumatic event in play
COMMON RESPONSES TO TRAUMA
School-age Children 3
• Fear, anxiety, worry
2
• Feelings of guilt, shame, and self-blame
1 4
• Headaches, stomachaches
• Nightmares, disrupted sleep
• Difficulty concentrating
• Angry outbursts, aggression, and withdrawal
• Over- or under-reactions to situations in the environment (e.g.,
sudden movements, loud noises, physical contact)
COMMON RESPONSES TO TRAUMA
Adolescents 3
• Fear, anxiety, worry
2
•
• 1
Shame, guilt, responsibility, embarrassment
4
Concerns about how others will view them after the event
• Withdrawal from family, peers, activities
• Avoid reminders of the event
• More intense mood swings
• Decline in school performance
• Increase in risk-taking behaviors (e.g., alcohol/drug use,
sexual behaviors, fights, self-harm)
CULTURE AND TRAUMA
Cultural factors influence: 3
2
• Risk and type of trauma exposure
1
• How a person describes their experience 4
• How distress is expressed
• Which topics are acceptable to discuss
• How a person makes meaning of experiences and
heals from trauma
TRIGGERS
3
• Reminders of past traumatic experiences
that automatically cause the body to react as
if the traumatic event is2happening again in
that moment. 1 4
• Responses can appear confusing and out of
place and be misunderstood by others.
TRIGGERS
Youth 3
• Loud noises
• Physical touch 2
• Threatening gestures
1 4
• Authority figures and limit-setting
• Chaos or uncertainty
• Particular spaces (e.g., bathrooms or areas that are less monitored)
• Changes in routine
• Witnessing violence between others, such as peers fighting
• Emergency vehicles and police or fire personnel
• Certain smells
• Particular times of year
TRIGGERS
3
Common responses to trauma triggers include:
• Fight responses: yelling, swearing, posturing,
aggressive behavior; 2
1
• Flight responses: running away, refusing to talk, 4
avoidance, substance use; and
• Freeze responses: spacing out; appearing numb,
disconnected, confused, or unresponsive.
TRIGGERS
Parents 3
• The school environment 2
• Shame and embarrassment
1 4
• Confusion in meetings
• Fear of other system involvement
• Situations that trigger feelings of helplessness and loss
of control
SUMMARY: PART 2
• The brain has a built-in alarm system designed to
detect threats and keep us safe.
• When faced with a threat, the emotional brain
takes over.
• A stress becomes traumatic when it overwhelms our
stress response system.
• A range of acute post-trauma responses are common.
• Triggers are trauma reminders that set off the alarm.
• Responses to triggers may seem out of place and can
be misunderstood by others.
PART 2: ACTIVITY/DISCUSSION
PART 3
What is the Impact of Exposure to Trauma?
Risk and Protective Factors | Post-Trauma Pathways | Effects of Complex
Trauma
RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS
• Individual Factors
• Environmental Factors
RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS
Individual Factors 3
• 2
History of previous exposure to trauma
• Age of exposure
1 4
• Gender
• Cognitive ability
• Self-efficacy
• Biological factors (e.g., flexibility in thinking,
emotional regulation)
RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS
Environmental Factors 3
• 2
Nature of the traumatic event
• Proximity to the traumatic event
1 4
• Culture and ethnicity
• Level of social support
• Quality of parent-child relationships, parent mental
health, and parental history of trauma
• Health of the broader community
POST-TRAUMA PATHWAYS
• Resilience
• Recovery
• Post-traumatic growth
• Severe persisting distress
• Decline
• Stable maladaptive functioning
POST-TRAUMA PATHWAYS
Resilience, Recovery, Growth 3
2
Resilience: A positive, adaptive response to
significant adversity.
1 4
• Adaptable, caring, and supportive relationship with
an adult
• A sense of mastery over life circumstances
• Strong executive function and self-regulation skills
• Safe and supportive environments (schools and
communities)
• Affirming faith or cultural traditions
POST-TRAUMA PATHWAYS
Resilience, Recovery, Growth 3
Resilience
2
4
• Children may demonstrate resilience in one type of situation but
1
not another.
• Coping skills that support resilience can be developed at any
age.
• Children do not develop the capacity to positively adapt to
adversity in isolation.
• Regardless of resources, children who face extreme adversity
are likely to be significantly impacted.
• Schools play an important role in fostering student resilience.
POST-TRAUMA PATHWAYS
Resilience, Recovery, Growth 3
Recovery 2
• Longer period of disruption 1 4
• Return to earlier level of functioning
POST-TRAUMA PATHWAYS
Resilience, Recovery, Growth 3
2
Post-traumatic growth: Positive change or transformation
as a result of a traumatic experience
1 4
POST-TRAUMA PATHWAYS
3
Distress, Decline, Stable Maladaptive
Functioning
2
Severe Distress
1 4
• Severe, persisting distress after a traumatic event.
• Body’s attempts to adjust are not effective.
• Requires more intensive, individualized supports.
POST-TRAUMA PATHWAYS
3
Distress, Decline, Stable Maladaptive
Functioning
2
Decline
1 4
• Child may initially appear to be managing the strain of a
traumatic experience.
• Over time they are unable to maintain a healthy level of
functioning.
• Difficulties can begin months or years after the event.
POST-TRAUMA PATHWAYS
3
Distress, Decline, Stable Maladaptive
Functioning
2
Stable Maladaptive Functioning
1 4
• Poor functioning before and after a traumatic event
• History of exposure to adversity
• Vulnerable to continued negative effects
POST-TRAUMA PATHWAYS
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms include:
• Re-experiencing (nightmares, flashbacks, reactions to
trauma reminders)
• Avoidance of trauma reminders
• Changes to the stress response system (on alert danger,
reactive)
• Negative changes in beliefs about self and others and mood
Consider cultural factors related to PTSD symptoms.
EFFECTS OF COMPLEX TRAUMA
3
• Exposure to trauma that starts early in life can alter
how the brain develops.
2
• Need to review key concepts related to brain
development. 1 4
EFFECTS OF COMPLEX TRAUMA
Brain Development 3
• Develops from the bottom up.
• Early childhood is period of
2
greatest growth. 1
• At 80% of adult size by age 3.
• Streamlines connections
over time.
• Thinking brain and emotional
brain become better coordinated.
EFFECTS OF COMPLEX TRAUMA
Brain development is 3
influenced by:
• Genetics; 2
• Environment; and 1
• Experiences
EFFECTS OF COMPLEX TRAUMA
Under constant threat: 3
• Emotional brain is over-
reactive, constantly in 2
survival mode. 1
• Thinking brain is
underdeveloped.
EFFECTS OF COMPLEX TRAUMA
• Relationships
• Emotional regulation
• Behavior
• Cognition
• Dissociation
• Self-concept and future orientation
SUMMARY: PART 3
• Key environmental and individual factors impact a child’s response to
trauma and risk for negative effects.
• There are a number of possible trajectories for youth following a
traumatic event.
• Most youth who experience a traumatic event do not develop
significant mental health issues; however, some continue to struggle.
• Chronic interpersonal trauma that begins early changes the way the
brain develops and can impact all areas of functioning into adulthood.
• Adults play a critical role in preventing and reducing the negative
effects of stress on children.
PART 3: ACTIVITY/DISCUSSION
PART 4
What Does This Mean for Schools?
Impact of Trauma on Students, Parents, Staff and Schools |
Trauma-Sensitive Schools: A Universal Response
IMPACT OF TRAUMA ON STUDENTS
3
• Physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches,
poor appetite, and decline in self-care
2
• Intense feelings of fear, anxiety, and concern for their safety
1 4
• Difficulty identifying how they are feeling and controlling their
emotional reactions
• Angry or aggressive outbursts
• A desire to withdraw from peers and adults
• A tendency to engage in risk-taking behaviors
• Trouble trusting adults and peers, reading social cues, and
building relationships
IMPACT OF TRAUMA ON STUDENTS
3
• Difficulty paying attention and learning
• More time out of the classroom
• Increased isolation 2
• School absences 1 4
• More suspensions or expulsions
• Higher referral rates to special education
• Poor test scores and an increased risk of failing grades
IMPACT OF TRAUMA ON PARENTS
3
• Difficulty managing emotions and controlling behaviors
when interacting with school staff
2
• Difficulty forming relationships
1
• Increased risk for substance abuse, depression, and 4
PTSD that negatively impact parenting
• Trouble managing stress related to their child’s difficult
behaviors
• Feelings of embarrassment, shame, fear, or guilt about
their child’s behaviors or needs
• Difficulty helping their children cope
IMPACT OF TRAUMA ON STAFF
• Increased anxiety 3
• Reduced energy and focus
2
• Trouble regulating emotions
1 4
• Difficulty managing responses to students and parents
• Diminished capacity to maintain positive teacher-
student and teacher-parent relationships
• Poor attendance or work performance
IMPACT OF TRAUMA ON STAFF
3
Secondary traumatic stress: The presence of PTSD
symptoms caused by indirect exposure to other people’s
traumatic experiences. 2
4
1of working with
Vicarious trauma: The cumulative effect
traumatized students and their families that leads to
negative changes in how staff view themselves, others,
and the world.
IMPACT OF TRAUMA ON SCHOOLS
• Students more likely to escalate 3
• Adults more reactive, controlling, and punitive
2
• Negative impact on school safety and culture
• Increased risk for harm 1 4
• Decrease in academic achievement
TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOLS:
A UNIVERSAL RESPONSE
3
• In a trauma-sensitive school, all school staff recognize
and understand student responses to trauma, and
2
practices that support healing and resilience are
embedded schoolwide.
1 4
• May require changes to mission, vision, practices,
policies, and culture.
• Ensures support for all students and enhances
identification of students with more intensive needs.
• Encourages partnerships with community organizations
to ensure needed resources.
PART 4: ACTIVITY/DISCUSSION
TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOLS TRAINING PACKAGE
• Implementation Guide
Provides overview of the purpose and components of the training package.
• Understanding Trauma and Its Impact
An interactive e-resource to provide all staff with general information about trauma and
companion slide presentation and activity packet for in-person training.
• Building Trauma-Sensitive Schools
An online module to help all staff learn how they can build a trauma-sensitive school in their role.
Includes a series of handouts to help reinforce concepts.
• Leading Trauma-Sensitive Schools
An online module to provide school leaders with a vision and strategies for adopting a whole-
school approach to trauma.
• Action Guide
A tool for helping school leaders and work groups create a custom roadmap for adopting a trauma-
sensitive approach schoolwide.
THANK YOU
