Images of child trauma stays with child

A continuously changing social and economic environment has profoundly impacted family dynamics around the world, especially in Canada (Behere, Basnet, & Campbell, p., 2017). Children's upbringing has been affected by the evolution of societal norms, access to technology and social media, economic affordability, and political and geographical changes. Past generational experiences of abuse and limited affordability have also added to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (University of Regina, 2024). ACEs are mainly physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, drug/alcohol use, domestic violence between adults in households, divorce/separation and incarceration of household members are a few examples that cause childhood depression and trauma (University of Regina, 2024).

According to Statcan 2023, about 6 in 10 individuals living in Canada reported experiencing some type of child maltreatment before they were 15 years old. Studies have shown that child maltreatment is associated with poorer health and socioeconomic outcomes later in life (Bader & Frank, 2023). ACEs can affect the brain's function, structure, and it's ability to manage stress. The adverse experiences of childhood often result in impaired memory, limited learning capacity and developmental delays. It can also negatively affect academic performance, as students with ACE may not behave well with teachers and classmates, and be disruptive to classroom learning. They also have difficulty with interpersonal relationships and are at risk of further mental health issues (University of Regina, 2022).

So, what to do about it?

Educators are uniquely positioned to notice the signs and symptoms of those entering the school with a background of ACEs, those holding trauma, or other descriptors of children in need. In their roles, educators can facilitate a safe and trauma-informed classroom, by modeling and implementing everyday practices that support student mental health, and that can identify students needing additional support. Equally, a knowledge of ACEs supports educators to seek to understand behaviours through a trauma-informed lens (University of Regina, 2022).

Therefore, trauma-informed educators and trauma-sensitive education systems are needed in today's classroom. In this approach, students struggles are understood and are not been blamed for behavioural issues, instead, they are provided with a safe and welcoming environment (Ballin, 2021). As mentioned by Stewart in his research study, "a trauma-sensitive school is not intended to be therapy-focused; rather, it is an environment that acknowledges the potential for traumatic experiences in the lives of students and creates universal supports that are sensitive to the unique needs of each student, while being attentive to avoiding the possibility of re-traumatization" (Stewart, 2017).

In my capacity as an educator, I can't change the lives of students who have had adverse childhood experiences, but I will advocate to provide an environment that is welcoming, safe, and supportive of social-emotional learning so that students are able to self-regulate and develop emotional resilience and be successful in life.

References

Bader, D., & Frank, K. (2023). What do we know about physical and non-physical childhood maltreatment in Canada? DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202300100001-eng.

Ballin, A. E. (2021). Connecting Trauma-Sensitive Schooling and Social–Emotional Learning to Promote Educational Equity: One School’s Intentional Design. National Association of Social Workers, https://doi.org/10.1093/cs/cdab032.

Behere, A. P., Basnet, P., & Campbell, P. (2017). Effects of Family Structure on Mental Health of Children: A Preliminary Study. Indian journal of psychological medicine, pp. 39(4), 457–463.

Stewart, J. (2017). A Culture of Care and Compassion for Refugee Students. Retrieved from www.edcan.ca: https://www.edcan.ca/articles/a-culture-of-care-and-compassion-for-refugee-students/

University of Regina. (2022). Pan-Canadian Knowledge Synthesis on TraumaInformed/Sensitive Practices in Education. Child Trauma Research Center.

University of Regina. (2024). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Important Knowledge for Educators. Retrieved from Child Trauma Research Centre : https://www.childtraumaresearch.ca/en/resources/trauma-sensitive-practices-for-educators/