Trauma-informed practice

Overview

Trauma-informed practice, sometimes known as trauma-sensitive practice or safe and supportive schools, creates a shared understanding and common language about how to create welcoming, caring, respectful and safe schools.

All students benefit from learning environments that are:

calm
predictable
supportive

Prolonged stress caused by issues such as abuse or neglect, can impact brain development. Students who experience severe or chronic trauma without the support of a nurturing relationship, are at high risk for having difficulties with:
- learning
- behaviour
- forming friendships
They may demonstrate a range of actions from extreme aggression to withdrawal. Focusing on healthy relationships and positive discipline can improve student engagement and school culture.
In any given school, at least one quarter of the students have experienced traumatic or adverse experiences.
When staff understand how trauma affects the brain and the lives of students, they can avoid unknowingly causing a student to feel unsafe or distressed. Staff can choose strategies that show empathy, and help to create a safe environment, where students can learn healthy ways to handle emotions and relating to others.
All students benefit from learning environments that are calm and supportive.
A whole-school approach to trauma-informed practice at school can include strategies such as:
- peer mentoring
- teacher-student mentoring, or
- restorative practices
Social-emotional learning opportunities are critical to students healing as well as to their learning. Providing supportive and compassionate learning environments that are trauma-informed have shown to provide positive impacts on the emotional well-being of students and helps them succeed in academics and social life.

Foundational ideas

Trauma-informed practice creates a school environment where every student feels safe and supported and where staff understand how trauma affects behaviour and emotions.

Key facts

When students experience frequent or continued adversity, the stress can undermine their ability to cope.
Students who have been exposed to unpredictable and uncontrollable danger, such as abuse or severe neglect, live much of their lives in survival mode and respond to the world as a place of danger.
Traumatic stress can negatively impact a child’s developing brain.
- This can result in learning, memory or social-emotional difficulties.
No 2 individuals experience a similar adverse event in the same way.
A major factor that influences the impact of childhood trauma is the presence or absence of supportive relationships.
- Positive relationships and successful involvement in school can buffer the impact of past adverse experiences.
At least one quarter of the students in any given school have experienced traumatic or adverse experiences.