Recognizing Trauma’s Many Faces

In this 2020 column Tamara Fyke describes how trauma can look different in different children and offers three ways adults can respond: ask and listen, give space, and point to the future. The section below reviews what current public health and research sources say about trauma-informed teaching, including what is and is not yet proven.

All of my life, I have heard my dad tell stories about the multiple heart attacks and regular hospital stays of his father. He recalls being told that he was the “man of the house” when he was just six years old. He carried the heavy weight of responsibility for looking out for his mother and two sisters. At that time, the family lived in a small town surrounded by extended family and friends. Even though my dad worked from the time he was in elementary school, the family was surrounded by a community of people who rallied around them when needed. 

Trauma has different faces. For some children, trauma looks like a parent in prison or on drugs.  For other children, trauma looks like a parent with a severe health issue. Even prolonged illness during this time of year can be frightening for a child. How do we, as caring adults, help little ones cope with big emotions?

 First of all, we need to acknowledge that whether a child is five years old or 17, they are still a child. A child needs the security and guidance of an adult to help them along their path. I realize this may sound elementary. However, many times in our fast-paced world with personalized technology, busy schedules, and tragic circumstances, kids are forced to grow up too soon. What they need more than anything is the reassurance that they are seen, known, valued, and loved, especially during times of uncertainty.

Secondly, they need to know that they do not have to figure it out on their own. Kids who have dealt with trauma over prolonged periods of time are often adept at isolating themselves, feeling a greater sense of independence than others their age. This is part of their fight or flight response. They reason, “Well, there’s nobody else who’s going to take care of this. I’ve got to do it myself.” Part of letting them know that they are seen, known, valued, and loved is reminding them that they are not alone and that together we can make a plan. We must not override their voice and choice. Instead, we ask guiding questions and work together to make a plan of action. 

Unfortunately, in our society, children’s needs can go undetected, whether because of a family’s privacy, transience, or both. Therefore, it behooves us as teachers, school counselors, administrators, afterschool personnel, cafeteria workers, custodial staff, bus drivers, and other parents to be mindful to check in with the children with whom we are in contact on a regular basis. A child coming to school with a disheveled appearance or a hungry stomach for several days in a row may be a sign of a serious problem going on at home. We must be careful not to pass judgment but respond with compassion and ask, “I wonder what’s going on with….?”

Here are some strategies for supporting a child who is dealing with instability at home:

1. Ask and listen ― Inquire about what is happening at home.  Then, also ask the child how he/she is coping.

2. Give space ― Even when a child does not willingly offer information, they still need our support.  Sometimes the best thing we can do is just be with them in their pain.

3. Point to the future ― Acknowledge how much it hurts while reminding them that they do have a future and a hope. 

Touching base with a high-five or a smile brings hope.  Sparking joy with fun activities reminds them that there is laughter in the world.  We cannot fix every problem. However, our goal is to help build resilience ― the ability to bounce back despite adversity.

Trauma informed teaching: what the research says and how staff can respond

Trauma informed teaching is an approach in which school staff understand that experiences such as abuse, neglect, violence, or a parent’s serious illness or imprisonment can affect how a child learns and behaves, and in which they respond with that in mind. Tamara Fyke makes the point above that trauma has many faces, and that the adults who see a child most days are often the first to notice. This section describes how common these experiences are, what schools can do, and where the evidence is thin. It is written for educators and parents, and it does not replace the help of a qualified professional.

How common these experiences are

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks adverse childhood experiences, known as ACEs. Using the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a CDC report in 2024 found that three in four high school students reported one or more ACEs and one in five reported four or more. The CDC page adds that toxic stress from ACEs can affect children’s brain development and stress-response systems, which can in turn affect attention, decision-making and learning. It states that safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments help prevent ACEs. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network says research suggests that approximately 25 percent of American children will experience at least one traumatic event by the age of 16, though its page names no study or year for the figure. These figures come from different measures, so they should not be added together. They do show that a typical school has students who have lived through difficult events, whether or not the school knows it.

What school staff can do

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network says school staff can lessen the effects of trauma on learning by recognizing trauma responses, accommodating students in the classroom, and responding to their needs. Fyke’s three strategies fit that description in practical terms.

1. Ask and listen. A child who is asked how things are going, and how they are coping, learns that an adult is paying attention.
2. Give space. Fyke notes that sometimes the best response is to stay with a child in pain without pressing for details.
3. Point to the future. Acknowledging that something hurts while reminding a child of a future is a way to support hope.

Fyke also asks staff to avoid judgment when they see signs such as a disheveled appearance or repeated hunger, and to respond with curiosity and care. That advice reaches beyond teachers, as Fyke notes, to bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians. Staff are not expected to diagnose or treat a child. When a concern is serious, the sensible step is to tell the school counselor, psychologist or administrator, and to follow the district’s procedures for reporting suspected abuse or neglect. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network notes that educators should refer children to outside professionals when necessary.

What is proven and what is not

The evidence for whole-school trauma-informed programs is weaker than the enthusiasm for them. A 2019 systematic review by Brandy Maynard and colleagues, published in Campbell Systematic Reviews, screened 9,102 references and assessed 67 full reports. It found no study that met its standard of a randomized or quasi-experimental evaluation, so it could not say whether trauma-informed approaches improve trauma symptoms, academic performance, behavior or social and emotional outcomes. The authors noted that some individual programs aimed at trauma symptoms do have evidence, but that this does not show a whole-school approach works. The review does not say these approaches fail; it found no rigorous evidence either way. They advised leaders to proceed with caution and to evaluate what they adopt. Studies published since 2019 may have added to the picture, and the review does not cover them.

For a principal, this suggests investing in the parts that are low in cost and consistent with sound practice, such as warm relationships, predictable routines and a clear path to the counselor, while tracking whether students benefit. Training that asks staff to adopt a new label or checklist without evaluation deserves questions. Parents who are worried about a child should speak first with the teacher and the school counselor, and with the child’s pediatrician or another qualified professional when distress continues.

Trauma in schools: reports from February 2018

In February 2018, edCircuit writer Jim Reams summarized several reports on how schools respond to students affected by trauma.

• A school in Idaho introduced trauma-informed practices five years earlier and reported a 17 percent decrease in discipline issues. Leigh Peebles, principal of Lewis and Clark Elementary, said children cannot set traumatic incidents aside and that a safe emotional environment has to come before academics. Leigh Peebles also saw an upward trend in academic achievement.
• A panel in the Philadelphia area said teachers are not adequately prepared to deal with students experiencing trauma, which can range from neighborhood violence to an abusive home, and that teachers need more training to recognize the signs and know how to step in.
• In Los Angeles, a school mental health director, Pia Escudero, said it is important to stick to routine after a traumatic event such as a school shooting, while teachers watch for signs of trouble and link students who feel alienated to resources.

Jim Reams also cited Dr. Pamela Cantor, who co-authored a study on the effects of the September 11 attacks on children in New York. According to Jim Reams, Pamela Cantor found that large events affect children but that daily stresses and trauma matter more to whether children feel safe and secure in the classroom. Pamela Cantor said that one parent or one teacher can do a great deal to make a child feel protected, and that being present and providing security, continuity and acceptance can make all the difference.

Further Reading

1. edCircuit – Tamara Fyke Columns
2. Fox 45 – Baltimore teachers get training in helping students deal with trauma
3. Blue Ridge Now – School system to offer more youth mental health, trauma training to Henderson County community
   
    

    

    

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