Recognizing Student Trauma:
A Trauma Informed Guide for School Staff
Have you ever...
Students who have been exposed to traumatic or stressful events experience a greater prevalence of learning and behavior problems compared to students who have not been exposed.
Burke, Hellman, Scott, Weems, & Carrion (2011)
Felt frustrated, disappointed, or confused by an interaction with a student, or by a student's behavior?
Patience, not punishment
Students who have experienced traumatic events may not have the capacity to manage difficult emotions and impulses, or explain what they are feeling.
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2015)
Scolding or punishing a student who is already upset will result in the student becoming more dysregulated. It is much more effective to provide the student time and space to calm down.
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2015)
Additional Trauma
Suspended students are much more likely to become detached from school, less academically motivated, and less likely to follow school rules.
Gregory, Skiba, & Noguera (2010)
Exclusionary discipline does little to help and support the student, and damages the relationship between the school staff, the student, and their family.
Gibson & Haight (2013)
Students benefit from connections that provide
empathy, support, and acceptance.
More supportive, productive relationships with your students start here.
About
Alexis K. Dragun, DSW, LCSW, is a high school social worker with almost ten years of experience. Alexis has witnessed firsthand the effects that trauma and adverse childhood experiences can have on a student, their family, and the community. As a school social worker, Alexis provides individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, mediation, and acts as a conduit between students, teachers, administration, and families. Alexis also functions as a member of a child study team, where she manages a caseload of students receiving special education and related services.
Alexis holds a certificate in Modern Psychoanalytic Studies, and graduated from the Rutgers Doctorate in Social Work Program in May 2019.
