“One out of every four children attending school has been exposed to a traumatic event that can affect learning and/or behavior.”
National Child Traumatic Stress Network, www.NCTSN.org—Trauma Facts for Educators
Journal of American Academy Of Child And Adolescent Psychology
The COVID-19 virus has created global havoc on the world’s economy, healthcare, and education systems. In addition, it has added to existing childhood anxiety, stress and trauma. It has disrupted the lives of children, their parents and the lives of educators as well. Children already face anxiety, stress and trauma in a variety of ways and from a variety of sources. With the onset of the pandemic, researchers correctly anticipated an increase in youth suicides due to increased family financial stress, isolation and children being home-bound. Children need socialization, which schools provide. The lack of in-person, in-school learning has also created a widening of the learning gap between wealthy and low-income students, and between children of color and caucasian students. Anxiety, stress and trauma in children have similar symptoms of PTSD, which include:
- Feeling upset by things that remind you of what happened
- Having nightmares, vivid memories, or flashbacks of the event that make you feel like it’s happening all over again
- Feeling emotionally cut off from others
- Having trouble concentrating
Unfortunately, many young people do not possess or have not been taught coping skills to deal with stress and trauma. Children experience greater stress and trauma as they age. First from their family, then hormones, then school, then dating, and then the workplace. Managing stress and trauma are tied to coping, growing anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses. There is a rising concern among educators that the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 virus pandemic has created increased difficulty in forming the relationships that teachers need with their students. Although children are resilient, they need to be taught coping skills.
Children face trauma in a variety of ways
Schools play an important role in students’ educational achievement, health and wellbeing. Schools go beyond academics, providing access to school meal programs, social services, extended day childcare, extra-curricular activities, mental health services and social-emotional support from peers and educators.
Some children, if given support, will recover within a few weeks or months from the fear and anxiety caused by a traumatic experience. However, some children will need more help over a longer period of time in order to heal and may need continuing support from family, teachers or mental health professionals.
Counseling that has been demonstrated to be effective in helping children deal with traumatic stress reactions typically includes the following elements:
- Creating an opportunity to talk about and make sense of the traumatic experience in a safe, accepting environment
- Explaining the trauma and answering questions in an honest but simple and age-appropriate manner
- Teaching techniques for dealing with overwhelming emotional reactions
- Helping the child verbalize feelings rather than engage in inappropriate behavior
Common Responses to Trauma Among Children
Children aged five and younger may:
- Have tantrums and be irritable.
- Suddenly return to behaviors such as bed-wetting and thumb-sucking.
- Show increased fearfulness (for example, of the dark, monsters, or being alone).
- Incorporate aspects of the traumatic event into imaginary play.
Children aged six to 11 may:
- Isolate themselves from family and friends.
- Have nightmares, refuse to go to bed, or experience other sleep problems.
- Become irritable, angry, or disruptive.
- Be unable to concentrate.
Adolescents aged 12 to 17 may:
- Use or abuse drugs, alcohol, or tobacco.
- Be disruptive or disrespectful or behave destructively.
- Complain of physical problems such as stomachaches and headaches.
- Become isolated from friends and family.
Trauma can impair learning.
Single exposure to traumatic events may cause jumpiness, intrusive thoughts, interrupted sleep and nightmares, anger and moodiness, and/or social withdrawal—any of which can interfere with concentration and memory.
Chronic exposure to traumatic events, especially during a child’s early years, can:
- Adversely affect attention, memory, and cognition
- Reduce a child’s ability to focus, organize, and process information
- Interfere with effective problem solving and/or planning
- Result in overwhelming feelings of frustration and anxiety
Helping a traumatized child at school
Maintain usual routines. A return to “normalcy” will communicate the message that the child is safe, and life will go on.
Give children choices. Often traumatic events involve loss of control and/or chaos, so you can help children feel safe by providing them with some choices or control when appropriate.
Increase the level of support and encouragement given to the traumatized child. Designate an adult who can provide additional support if needed.
Set clear, firm limits for inappropriate behavior and develop logical—rather than punitive—consequences.
Many children have experienced multiple traumas, and for too many children, trauma is a chronic part of their lives. Some children show signs of stress in the first few weeks after a trauma but return to their usual state of physical and emotional health. Even children who do not exhibit serious symptoms may experience some degree of emotional distress, which may continue or even deepen over a long period of time. These children often “fly beneath the radar” and do not get help. In any situation where there is a possibility of abuse, as in the cases above, educators may be legally required to report the information to social services or law enforcement. Be aware of the policies in your state and your local school system.
Be alert to the possibility of misdiagnosis due to the many presentations of trauma-related anxiety. For instance, many behaviors seen in children who have experienced trauma are nearly identical to those of children with developmental delays, ADHD and other mental health conditions. Without recognition of the possibility that a child is experiencing childhood traumatic stress, adults may develop a treatment plan that does not fully address the specific needs of that child with regard to trauma.
Some traumatic experiences occur once in a lifetime, others are ongoing. Many children have experienced multiple traumas, and for too many children, trauma is a chronic part of their lives. Students who have experienced traumatic events may experience problems that impair their day-to-day functioning.
Advice for educators
Seek support and consultation routinely for yourself to prevent “compassion fatigue,” also referred to as “secondary traumatic stress.” Be aware that you can develop compassion fatigue from exposure to trauma through the children with whom you work. Be aware of the signs. Educators with compassion fatigue may exhibit some or all of the following:
- Increased irritability or impatience with students
- Difficulty planning classroom activities and lessons
- Decreased concentration
- Intense feelings and intrusive thoughts, that don’t lessen over time, about a student’s trauma
Don’t go it alone. Anyone who knows about stories of trauma needs to guard against isolation. While respecting the confidentiality of your students, get support by working in teams, talking to others in your school, and asking for support from administrators or colleagues.
Recognize compassion fatigue as an occupational hazard. When an educator approaches students with an open heart and a listening ear, compassion fatigue can develop. All too often, educators judge themselves as weak or incompetent for having strong reactions to a student’s trauma. Compassion fatigue is not a sign of weakness or incompetence; rather, it is the cost of caring.
If you see signs in yourself, talk to a professional. If you are experiencing signs of compassion fatigue for more than two to three weeks, seek counseling with a professional who is knowledgeable about trauma.
About the author
Franklin P. Schargel is a former classroom teacher, school counselor and school administrator who successfully designed, developed and helped implement a process that dramatically increased parental engagement, increased post-secondary school attendance and significantly lowered his Title 1 high school’s dropout rate. The U.S. Department of Education, Business Week, Fortune Magazine, National Public Radio (NPR) the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and The New York Times have recognized his work. In addition, Schargel served as the Education Division Chair of the American Society for Quality and helped develop the National Quality Award, the Malcolm Baldridge Award for Education.
For more information about school violence, get your copy of Franklin’s new book, Preventing School Violence: A User’s Guide, available on Amazon.
Portions of this article were excerpted from the above title.
