What is Childhood Trauma?

Childhood trauma is something a lot of individuals face. When looking at childhood trauma, or trauma, stems from an event or a wound that has affected a child physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically which then creates an ongoing emotional response. This causes impacts on development and cognitive growth affecting the central nervous system affecting memory and processing.

Statistics of Childhood Trauma in Canada (2018)

It has been shared that in Canada 3 in 10 children affected by Childhood Trauma (physical and sexual abuse) occurs by an adult at least once by the age of 15 (27%). Because of the ethical and harmful traumatic repercussions that can occur in studying children with trauma, studies have been done on Adults with PTSD or childhood victimizations of abuse. Women are likely more physically or sexually abused and witness this violence compared to men, and 69% of the overall Canadians abused were abused by parents or parental figures (step-parents). It has been shared that children who are abused are more likely to be abused in Adulthood or get re-victimized.

It is shared that in Ontario, administrators have shared that 10-30% of educational time is used to decrease traumatic behaviors for students with childhood trauma, which affects the time for teaching for all students. This also affects Educators well-being. The lack of training for trauma-informed or trauma-sensitive education approaches is a barrier as well as stress and burnout.

Why is it important for Educators to understand childhood trauma?

Every child in Canada is required to go to school. Studies have confirmed traumatic experiences that occur in life can affect you as an Adult in turn creating Adult PTSD, depression, and Childhood Trauma can lead to depression, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders. With how big of an impact trauma plays in life it is important to recognize those impacts as Educators to help minimize these triggers in childhood and lessen the likelihood of Adult PTSD. It has been shared that childhood abuse is done by a trusted adult, and these abuses are underreported due to:

1.      The child does not understand the criminality of the abuse
2.      The Abuser Threatening the child
3.      The Child not knowing the repercussions
4.      Lack of support
5.      Lack of resources

As Educators are meant to help and be supportive of all students it is important to create a supportive and positive environment to help healing. Being able to understand childhood trauma Educators need to promote healing, resilience, and academic success for all of the children they work with, which is why understanding trauma is important to developing these goals for the students.

Understanding Types of Childhood Trauma

To understand how to help children with trauma it is important to understand what forms trauma comes in and how to heal these wounds. Childhood trauma comes in many forms and can harm children through many forms. This includes but is not limited to:

1.  Abuse

a.      Physical (violence and child abuse)
b.      Emotional (verbal abuse, criticism, threats, and denying love or support)
c.      Psychological (Words and actions used to manipulate, control, or frighten someone that affects them emotionally and mentally)
d.      Sexual  (assault, non-consensual touching, rape, or other sexual acts)

2.  Neglect

a.      Childhood trauma can be created when a caregiver does not provide the child with basic needs.

3.  Viewing Violence

a.      This could contribute to childhood trauma by viewing violence in their home (Domestic Abuse), community (War), school, or neighborhood i.e. gang violence, bullying, or violence witnessed elsewhere.

4.  Loss or Separation from Parents

a.      This can include death, parental separation (divorce)

5.  Medical Trauma

a.      This can include pain or injury due to medical procedures, frightening treatments, or pain due to illnesses.

Childhood Trauma can be experienced as well due to the  fact of:

●      Who they are
●      How they live
●      Lack of opportunities.

These children can face discrimination, racism, and classism which create trauma and extend into later life in which Adult PTSD, depression or eating disorders could occur. It is important that everyone can recognize signs of Childhood Trauma for early interventions and develop tools to minimize behaviors.

Signs of Childhood Trauma

After developing an awareness of types of traumas’ Educators need to understand what signs look like in each developing stage of childhood trauma throughout school stages. As children are in school every day, it is pertinent that these signs are looked at and recalled to help families and children develop coping strategies.

Preschool Children

·   Separation Anxiety from Parents
·   Vocal, screaming and crying
·   Lack of appetite
·   Losing or Gaining Weight

Elementary School Children

·   Fearful
·   Anxious
·   Feelings of guilt
·   Feelings of shame
·   Difficulty Concentrating
·   Difficulty Falling Asleep

Middle School and High School Children

·   Depressive States
·   Feeling alone
·   Self-harm
·   Eating Disorder Present
·   Substance abuse·   Early signs of Sexual Activity

Symptoms of Childhood Trauma

It is important to know what symptoms to look for when helping students and children with childhood trauma. Trauma manifests in many ways. Here are some prominent symptoms that can be recognized by educators to help support children and students.

1.  Emotional Disruption

a.      Can cause emotional outbursts in classrooms

2.  Physical Disruption

a.      No clear explanations of:

        i.  Headaches
        ii.  Stomach Issues
        iii.  Physical pain

3.  Behavioural Disruption

a.      Acting out “for no reason”
b.      Aggression or risky behaviors
c.      Self-harm

4.  Avoidance of tasks

a.      Due to reminder of trigger causes of avoidance
b.      Leading to withdrawal and isolation

5.  Hyperarousal & Hypervigilance

a.      Feeling on edge
b.      Difficulty concentrating
c.      Sleep disturbances

6.  Difficulty with maintaining relationships

a.      Issues with trust and forming relations with others

7.  Dissociationa.
 
a. Disconnection from thoughts and emotions to cope with childhood trauma

Areas childhood trauma affects learning

Trauma affects the learning process in several ways. This includes

1.     Memory Impairments
2.     Processing Information
3.     Motivation
4.     Self-efficacy

As childhood trauma affects the central nervous system, this creates issues in understanding, how things are processed, striving to do things, as well as a sense of purpose. When working as an educator, it is important to recognize that childhood trauma affects the brain and leads to different outcomes in children whether they have outbursts, or are reserved or demotivated.

Educators’ role in supporting Childhood Trauma

An educator plays a pivotal role in helping students and children who display signs and symptoms of childhood trauma to promote resiliency, establish learning goals, and develop emotional regulation to establish healing and growth.

How to foster a supportive environment for students who face childhood trauma

1.  Listen to your students.

a.      Educate and go more in-depth about understanding your students.

2.  Build strong relationships with your students.

a.      Develop respect and understanding to help foster trust and provide students with a safe person.

b. Provide students with peer support and provide students with a safe space

3.  Be sensitive.

a.      Understand what triggers your students face and what impacts your students so they are not re-traumatized.

Understanding their triggers can reduce symptoms, such as outbursts or dissociation.

4.  Communicate expectations and develop healthy boundaries.

a.      Helps to provide students with structure.

b.      Be patient with your students

5.  Allow healthy expressions of creativity.

a.      Through journaling, art and writing allow students to establish healthy coping skills.

6.  Collaborate.

a.      Work with teams within the school such as your supervisor, support staff, and community-based programs to help students minimize harm and create a supportive environment.

7.  Practice Self-Care.

a.      Working with childhood trauma is challenging and is important to have time to care for yourself.

8. Education is key!

a.     Take courses and trainings to grasp a better understanding of working with traumatized students and children

Childhood Trauma and Being Trauma-Informed

In less than two decades, the term “trauma” and its associated terms “trauma-informed” and “trauma-sensitive” have entered the mainstream of education. As a result of the pandemic, schools are now seen as not just places to learn, but as places to “heal.”  Trauma-informed teaching refers to the concept of looking at trauma and developing classroom practices that help with childhood trauma. There are several practices to help students feel safe and somewhat in control. This includes:

1.     Instilling trust in relationships with adults
2.     Offering students choices

Barriers to trauma-informed practices in Schools

Although schools are aware of the need for trauma-informed care at schools, the barriers of this approach include:

1.     The challenges are a wide array of pertinent symptoms, that cause outbursts

●      All trauma is different and the symptom outcomes are different for everybody

2.     System-level change to incorporate trauma sensitivity in all classrooms

●      There needs to be board-wide recognition of trauma-informed care in schools

3.     Demands of all student’s needs

●      Students’ needs are all varying 

4.     Time

●      There is only a certain amount of time in the day everything needs to be followed through consistently for strategies and tools to work.

5.     Stress and Burnout

●      Teachers are experiencing high States of stress and burnout due to outbursts of childhood trauma directly affecting the students they work with.

Indigenous Students’ Trauma

It is important to look at how intergenerational trauma affects Canada’s Indigenous population. Culture is important to recognize and here are the areas that Educators need to be informed on in the Indigenous populations:

●      Intergenerational trauma as the result of colonization
●      Residential schools and their impact
●      Systemic oppression

The importance of diversity and equity in schools is important in developing a safe and inclusive environment. Educators need to ensure that their biases are in check and are supportive of diverse student needs. Indigenous safe spaces needed to be included as Indigenous people face microaggressions, ‘purposeful’ ignorance, isolation, and lack of representation and spaces that feel safe and trauma-free, due to institutional racism in schools.

How to provide support to children and families

A majority of a child’s day is spent in school, and educators play an essential role in identifying students who require additional support and reinforcing useful skills and strategies.

Teachers need ongoing professional development, resources, and support to implement a trauma-informed approach. Training, coaching, and mentoring can be provided by school districts and educational organizations in Canada to help educators understand trauma and its effects on students. A trauma-informed teacher can also provide resources and tools to implement trauma-informed practices in the classroom, including trauma-sensitive teaching strategies, self-care tools, and referral pathways.

Referring children to professionals is important. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), are also therapies that are useful in minimizing trauma as well as PTSD. It could be helpful in cases where families feel stuck in managing the behavior of children with trauma. Referring to and sharing resources with parents is helpful in creating more safe spaces and relationships for students with childhood trauma as well.

It is most important for Educators to have self-care to minimize burnout and develop healthy habits for themselves as well as for their students.

Parting Notes

At Insight Clinic we have many therapists that can help decrease burnout and stress in the workplace.  Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is useful in decreasing stress and anxiety.

You can reach out today to book an appointment with our skilled and trained therapists to help you gain understanding and develop healthier coping strategies when you are feeling stressed, burnt out, or anxious. 

At the Insight Clinic, some counsellors also provide trauma-informed approaches. EMDR And TF-CBT are both Trauma Focused Approaches that are beneficial to children who experience trauma.