Children are more vulnerable to the stress of trauma. Their responses to trauma are complex and are different from those of adults. Children’s traumatising experiences can compromise all areas of childhood development, including identity, cognitive processing, ability to manage behaviour, tolerance, moral development, ability to trust self and others. Children who have experienced trauma will develop “survivor behaviours” and these behaviours help the child to survive extreme psychological stress in a hostile environment. Examples of this can be fighting, running away, substance abuse, shutting down, self-harm, eating disorders, etc. In a threatening environment, the children will exhibit these behaviours to deal with their ‘uncomfortableness’ and anxiety – to these children even a nurturing environment is threatening
What is Trauma Informed Practice
Trauma-informed practice in schools is an organisational and practitioner approach that recognises the pervasive impact of trauma on young people and seeks to create environments that are safe, supportive, and promote recovery. It shifts the focus from asking "What is wrong with this young person?" to "What has happened to this person?", and is guided by key principles such as safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment, and cultural consideration. The goal is to avoid re-traumatisation, remove barriers to learning, and support the inherent resilience and well-being of our students.
What it is:
- Acknowledging Trauma: Recognising that many young people may have experienced trauma and that this can affect their neurological, psychological, and social development.
- Focus on Healing: Understanding that trauma may impact a young person's ability to function, but that there are pathways to recovery.
- Preventing Harm: Actively avoiding behaviours, policies, or environments that could trigger or re-experience past traumatic events.
- Strengths-Based: Focusing on the young person's resilience and strengths rather than solely on their difficulties.
The "5 Rs" of Trauma-Informed Practice:
- Realise: Understanding how common trauma is and its potential impact.
- Recognise: Identifying the signs and symptoms of trauma in young people.
- Respond: Integrating trauma-informed knowledge into policies and practices.
- Resist: Actively working to prevent re-traumatisation.
- Relationships: Emphasising the crucial role of relationships in recovery and well-being.
Key Principles:
- Safety: Ensuring the physical and emotional safety of everyone - parents/carers and students.
- Trust: Building confidence and a sense of security.
- Choice: Giving students control and a sense of agency over their care.
- Collaboration: Working in partnership with the young person and fostering mutual respect.
- Empowerment: Supporting young people to make their own decisions and build their strengths.
- Cultural Considerations: Being sensitive to, and incorporating, the cultural needs and values of each young person.
How it Works:
- Shifting Perspective: Asking "What happened to you?" instead of "What's wrong with you?" to understand behaviours.
- Creating Safe Environments: Establishing systems and practices that promote safety and reduce anxiety.
- Providing Choice: Offering meaningful choices to students to foster a sense of control.
- Building Relationships: Fostering supportive and positive connections between students, staff and each other.
Strategies
- Clarify each of our roles
- Create an environment of mutual respect
- Give the young person opportunities to make choices
- Talk about safety and what steps we will take to help the student to be and feel safe
- Consider how we communicate; talk more slowly, use a lower pitch for our voice, refrain from using complex sentences, be calm and less animated.
- Offer self-calming techniques, such as mindfulness, proprioception, interoceptive awareness, yoga, positive memories
- Use positive language
- Say what we want the young person to do; not what we don't.
- Use music, exercise, movement, and stretching
- Make learning fun! (laughter reduces traumatic responses in the brain.
