Childhood trauma is a significant issue that affects a number of children worldwide. But how does child trauma present in the classroom? Research shows that a large percentage of children experience trauma in their early years, and this can have long-lasting consequences for a child’s health, wellbeing, and development across a range of areas.
Exposure to trauma in childhood can have a significant impact on a child’s internal sense of safety, which impacts their learning, behaviour, and overall wellbeing. If a child experiences a lack of safety, they experience high levels of anxiety and are in a state of “high alert”. As a result, children who have experienced trauma can often experience difficulties with academic performance as they are unable to attend to the education setting. Children may also have difficulty forming relationships with peers and teachers, and they may exhibit behaviours which can be disruptive to the learning of others.
The primary goal of any school is to support every student to achieve their full potential. To effectively meet this goal, all children and young people need to feel supported and safe primarily. They need adults in the school system to be emotionally available and understanding of their needs and experiences. Only then will they be prepared and ready to learn. It is therefore crucial that educators can recognise the signs of trauma in students and work to develop trauma-sensitive classroom environments within which all children and young people can feel understood, supported, and safe to engage and be academically challenged.
Addressing trauma in the school setting not only benefits the individual students, but also contributes to a positive and inclusive school community where all students can thrive.
Understanding Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma refers to experiences that exceed a child’s capacity to cope, and which cause significant distress or harm to a child’s physical, emotional or psychological wellbeing. It can result from various adverse events such as abuse (physical, emotional or sexual), neglect, exposure to violence, or loss.
Short-term, children who have been exposed to trauma may experience fear, anxiety, or confusion and they may exhibit behaviours such as aggression, difficulties concentrating, or withdrawal. Long-term childhood trauma can impact a child’s cognitive development, their ability to understand, develop, and maintain healthy social relationships, and they are more likely to experience challenges with emotional awareness, emotional regulation, and impulsivity; all of which can make engaging with education extremely challenging.
Recognising Signs of Trauma in Students
Trauma can manifest in a number of ways. Being aware of, and able to recognise, the signs of trauma in school students can help educators to identify students who may be struggling and in need of additional support.
Behavioural indicators of trauma in school students may include:
- Changes in behaviour, e.g., displays of aggression, appearing more withdrawn or increased impulsivity
- Hyperactivity
- Conflict with peers or teachers
- Avoiding interaction with peers or teachers
- Appearing hypervigilant
- Difficulty focusing/ concentrating
- Self-harm
- Non-attendance / school refusal
Emotional indicators of trauma in school students may include:
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- Mood swings
- Frequent outbursts of emotions
- Low self-esteem
- Lack of motivation
- Worthlessness
- Being easily startled or frightened
- Hopelessness about the future
- High levels of anxiety
Academic indicators of trauma in school children may include:
- A decline in academic performance
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulties retaining information/ memory problems
- Lack of participation in class
These challenges can further exacerbate emotional and behavioural difficulties and lead to feelings of frustration, failure, or inadequacy. Recognising these signs can help educators to provide appropriate accommodations and support to help students succeed despite the challenges they may be experiencing.
Check out our guide to the effects of childhood trauma on the brain to learn more.
Impact of Trauma on Learning and Behavior
Developmental trauma and/or early attachment disruptions can lead to a young person feeling fearful of others and the world around them. Often, children who experience trauma do so within their relationships with adults/carers who are intended to be their primary source of safety. This leads to the child or young person experiencing high levels of shame, and a difficulty trusting others to keep them safe.
Unable to rely on adults to feel safe, the child’s brain can become heavily focused on surviving what feels like a very scary and chaotic world. As a result, learning social and emotional skills or engaging in learning activities can be extremely challenging.
In this way, trauma can significantly affect brain development and cognitive functioning. When a child experiences trauma, their neurobiological development is altered in ways which impacts their ability to regulate their emotions, process information, and learn effectively.
Trauma can disrupt the development of brain structures involved in memory, attention, and executive functioning, leading to difficulties in academic performance and behavioural self-regulation.
When a child experiences difficulties with impulse control, emotional regulation, or attention they can display behaviours such as aggression, hyperactivity, or withdrawal with can disrupt the learning environment.
For example, a child who has experienced physical abuse may have difficulty understanding or managing their emotions in healthy ways. They likely lack an internal sense of safety, see other people and the world around them as scary and harmful, and may be reactive and display aggression towards peers and teachers.
This child needs a safe connection with an emotionally available, trusting adult who can reliably meet their needs. Sadly though, they have learnt that they cannot trust adults or others around them to keep them safe, and so they display behaviours which serve to keep others away.
Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom
Creating a trauma-sensitive classroom is essential for supporting all students to feel safe and nurtured within their learning environment. There are several strategies that educators can implement which help students to feel supported, valued and empowered to learn and grow:
Establishing Safety
Establishing safety is a foundational step in creating a trauma sensitive classroom. This involves creating a physically and emotionally safe environment where all students can feel secure and supported.
Educators can establish safety by setting clear expectations, implementing consistent routines, and providing opportunities for students to express their needs and concerns in a non-judgemental way.
Building Trust
Trusting relationships provide a secure foundation for learning and growth. Consistent routines and clear expectations can help to build trust. Educators should be consistent, reliable and responsive to students’ individual needs. They should demonstrate empathy, understanding and respect for students’ experiences.
Fostering Relationships
By building strong, supportive relationships with students, educators can help children and young people to feel connected, valued and understood.
Promoting Emotional Regulation
Difficulties in emotional regulation can be a significant barrier to learning. Within positive and safe relationships with educators, children and young people can learn healthy coping and emotional regulation skills which can help them to thrive within and beyond the school environment.
Encouraging Student Voice
Empowering students to express their needs and feelings is essential for creating a trauma-sensitive classroom. Educators should provide opportunities for students to share their experiences thoughts and emotions in ways which feel safe. E.g., through art, play, movement, discussions, and other creative outlets.
By empowering students to express themselves, educators can help to develop a child’s confidence, sense of self and identity, and resilience.
Practical Teaching Strategies
Flexible Seating and Classroom Arrangements
Trauma-informed teaching recognises the importance of creating a physical environment that promotes a sense of safety and comfort for students.
Flexible seating options, such as beanbags, cushions, or standing desks can allow students the option to learn in an environment that feels comfortable for them.
Arranging the classroom in a way which avoids rigid rows and seating plans can provide students with agency and control over the physical space, so that they are better able to engage with the curriculum.
Promoting Emotional Awareness and Regulation
Trauma-informed teaching acknowledges the impact that stress and anxiety can have on a student’s ability to learn. Incorporating activities such as deep breathing, guided meditations, or guided imagery can help students to develop healthy ways of managing their emotions and experience a state of calm.
Providing regular relaxation breaks, where students can engage in quiet reflection or self-soothing activities, can support student’s wellbeing and improve concentration, focus and overall academic performance.
Calm down spaces and sensory tools can help students to self-soothe when feeling overwhelmed. Modelling and reinforcing emotion self-awareness and regulation are also helpful strategies to encourage students to recognise, understand and manage their own emotions.
Emphasising Strengths and Fostering Resilience
By acknowledging and praising positive actions and identifying students’ unique strengths and talents, educators can help students to feel validated and build their self-esteem.
Providing opportunity for students to showcase their strengths can also help them to feel a sense of mastery.
Difficulties and setbacks should be framed as opportunities for growth, and students should be encouraged to set achievable goals where their progress can be celebrated.
Flexible and Differentiated Instruction
Offering multiple options for students to demonstrate their understanding, such as oral presentations, written work or creative projects can help to ensure teaching delivery is approached with sensitivity and flexibility.
Accommodations and modifications can help to address individual learning needs and preferences.
Collaborating with Parents and Caregivers
Collaborating with parents and carers plays an important role in supporting a child’s overall wellbeing. By working together, parents/carers and educators can help to provide children with a holistic support system, which promotes the consistent and nurturing environment they need in order to thrive.
Providing resources and support for carers can help them to navigate the challenges of supporting a child who has experienced trauma. By equipping carers with the tools and knowledge they need, educators can empower them to better support their child’s emotional and academic needs.
Helping Schools Become a Trauma Informed Practice
By incorporating trauma-informed practices, educators can better understand and respond to the needs of children who have experienced early trauma and help to reduce the barriers they face in school.
Trauma sensitive schools prioritise building trusting relationships which foster a sense of belonging and provide children with the predictability and consistency they need to feel safe.
At Meadows Psychology Service, we are committed to ensuring that all students have the opportunity to thrive in a supportive and inclusive educational environment. We work with a number of education settings across the country to implement trauma-informed practices.
We pioneer a revolutionary relational approach to education, placing paramount importance on cultivating an environment where children and young people not only learn but thrive.
Our unique methodology centres around fostering a profound sense of safety within the classroom, setting the stage for unparalleled teaching effectiveness. If you want to develop a trauma-informed approach in your school or need expert psychological support, contact Meadows Psychology Service today.
