What Is Trauma?

Dr. Marcella Chiromo, PhD, addresses how educators can identify and meet the needs of students who have experienced trauma. She encourages and equips educators to notice behaviors that may indicate trauma in their students.

What is trauma?

According to the dictionary, trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. There are conversations about the definition of trauma. Individuals question whether it is trauma if someone did not directly experience the distressing or disturbing event.

The Impact of Trauma

The reality is, whether or not the person directly experienced trauma or if they indirectly experienced trauma, if that event impacts them emotionally, it will eventually impact their behavior. People are impacted by experiences and that experience needs to be recognized because it ends up impacting their thoughts, their feelings, and their actions. It is important to know that whatever the resulting behaviors are, they are there as a way of protection. It is important to keep in mind that even though these behaviors are a way of protection, safety in your group or in your classroom is of utmost importance.

How young people are impacted

In any group setting it is wise to assume that you have people who come from various backgrounds and experiences. Classrooms and group settings are spaces where young people sometimes show concerning behaviors because they are interacting with other young people. In addition, as you build an emotionally safe climate and culture through Friendzy, your students may feel more comfortable talking about their experiences.

According to Science Daily, one study found two-thirds of the children reportedly experienced at least one traumatic event by age 16, including 30.8% with exposure to one event and 37% to multiple events. The most common events were witnessing or learning about a trauma that affected others—known as “vicarious” events.

Children who experience trauma are often those with depressive, disruptive behavior disorders and high anxiety (Science Daily).
According to the Child Trauma Academy, in the United States, approximately five million children experience some form of a traumatic event each year.
More than two million children in the US are victims of physical and/or sexual abuse (Child Trauma Academy).

To get a picture of how trauma is impacting young people today, consider these recent statistics.

It is clear young people are impacted by experiences that cause distress and are disturbing.

Students are more impacted by trauma because, at a young age, their brain has not developed enough to process painful experiences and to recognize that they are abnormal.

Understanding trauma's effects can help identify concerning behaviors in students. To the right are videos that go in-depth on how childhood development is impacted by trauma.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Safety is important in a group―students thrive when they feel safe.
Students want to be seen and heard by you. They will communicate what is going on through their behaviors.
A change of behavior could be a reason to be curious about what is going on.
Students show these behaviors in groups or in class because they feel safe.
Students want to be seen and noticed.
You noticing them is important to them.
You do not need to be a psychologist, social worker, or therapist to notice concerning behaviors.

How it shows up in your group

There are different ways concerning behaviors show up in a class or group setting. If a teacher has spent enough time with a class or group, they can identify what "normal" behavior is for students in their class. For instance, if a young person is usually open to sharing and socializing with their peers in class but suddenly begins to isolate, this could be a sign that something is up. It's essential to remember that what they are experiencing may not be abuse.

Disruptive behavior is how students communicate that they lack attention. They do whatever it takes to get attention, whether positive or negative. This student will need support and redirection.

Another sign of trauma is when a student overshares. This student may be communicating that they have a lot going on in their mind, and their way of coping is to share every last detail.

When a student shares disturbing information, it may indicate trauma: for instance, harming animals or witnessing a traumatic event.

Times have changed, and young people have access to a lot of information, but if a student talks about drugs in 4th grade as an adult, that should be concerning. These are a few examples of what may be some behaviors to look out for in your groups and classes.

References

“Traumatic Events, But Not Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Common In Childhood.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 10 May 2007.

Guest UserDecember 28, 2023