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Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a common and pervasive problem. There is a positive correlation between ACEs and difficulties across the lifespan. Unlike healthy forms of stress, ACEs have a detrimental impact on the developing brain. There are three types of trauma: acute, chronic, and complex. Most ACEs are considered complex trauma, the result of abuse by caregivers over time. The effects of complex trauma are not always visible and may manifest in several ways, including behavioral issues at school. Piecemeal community-based interventions and current educational policy do not adequately address the problem of ACEs and children are left to suffer the impacts of trauma. Adaptive capabilities of children who thrive despite having ACEs are important to integrate into any model of intervention. Traumasensitive schools understand the impact of trauma on the developing brain and provide support so that students can thrive in the classroom environment. The logic model provided in this article will serve as a guide to help school district administrators create the framework for a healthy school ecosystem that addresses the needs of the whole child.
Keywords: adverse childhood experiences, positive behavior intervention support, social and emotional learning, trauma-informed care, trauma-sensitive schools
If 20 million people were infected by a virus that caused anxiety, impulsivity, aggression, sleep problems, depression, respiratory and heart problems, vulnerability to substance abuse, antisocial and criminal behavior, . . . and school failure, we would consider it an urgent public health crisis. Yet, in the United States alone, there are more than 20 million abused, neglected and traumatized children vulnerable to these problems. Our society has yet to recognize this epidemic, let alone develop an immunization strategy.
(Perry, B. D., Child Trauma Academy, & Linkletter Media, 2003)
Childhood trauma is a common and pervasive problem, affecting approximately two-thirds of Americans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). Trauma affects a person's quality of life across virtually all domains (Felitti et al., 1998). In the United States, 90 percent of students attend public schools; therefore, public schools are the ideal medium for comprehensive intervention (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015). As one widely cited study found, the majority of American children receive access to mental health services through the school system (Farmer, Burns, Phillips, Angold, & Costello,...