Traumatic Grief: This happens when there is a sudden or unexpected loss of the primary attachment figure (Kathryn Viljoen)
COMPLEX TRAUMA by VL
Possible Symptom: difficulty calming down when upset
Possible Symptom: attachment issues
Possible Response: Focus on consistency & being a stable presence for the student (VL)
Possible Symptom: trouble controlling and expressing emotions
Possible Response: Teach the student grounding techniques such as breathing & meditation(VL)
Possible Symptom: Fear: This can be associated with triggers and memories of the incident, person
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Jonathan Presland
Negative thoughts
Insomnia
Self-blame
Depression/Anxiety
Apathy
Break tasks into manageable steps
Celebrate achievements to foster engagement
Promote a positive and inclusive classroom culture
Emphasize shared responsibility and mutual support
Provide mental health support resources
EARLY CHILDHOOD TRAUMA
"Generally refers to the traumatic experiences that occur to children aged 0-6. These traumas can be the result of intentional violence—such as child physical or sexual abuse, or domestic violence—or the result of natural disaster, accidents, or war. Young children also may experience traumatic stress in response to painful medical procedures or the sudden loss of a parent/caregiver."
~The National Child Traumatic Stress Network~
NCTSN
Link to more NCTSN Resources on Early Childhood Trauma
EFFECTS
"Traumatic events have a profound sensory impact on young children. Their sense of safety may be shattered by frightening visual stimuli, loud noises, violent movements, and other sensations associated with an unpredictable, frightening event. The frightening images tend to recur in the form of nightmares, new fears, and actions or play that reenact the event. Lacking an accurate understanding of the relationship between cause and effect, young children believe that their thoughts, wishes, and fears have the power to become real and can make things happen.
Early childhood trauma has been associated with reduced size of the brain cortex. This area is responsible for many complex functions including memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thinking, language, and consciousness. These changes may affect IQ and the ability to regulate emotions, and the child may become more fearful and may not feel as safe or as protected."
~The National Child Traumatic Stress Network~
NCTSN
POSSIBLE OUTCOMES
By Prevent Child Abuse Illinois
🚩 Difficulty identifying, expressing and managing emotions
🚩 Reactions and responses to certain situations are unpredictable and/or explosive
🚩 Have difficulty forming positive, healthy relationships
🚩 May over-react or under-react to various situations in their environment
🚩 One defense mechanism may be learned disassociation
🚩 Forms negative views of the world and their own self-worth
🚩 Lacks the ability to link consequences with their actions and decisions
POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS AND BEHAVIORS
By NCTSN
🏴 Aged 0-2 may:
- demonstrate poor verbal skills
- exhibit memory problems
- scream or cry excessively
- have poor appetite, low weight or digestive problems
🏴 Aged 3-6 may:
- have difficulties focusing or learning in school
- develop learning disabilities
- show poor skill development
- act out in social situations
- imitate the abusive/traumatic event
- be verbally abusive
- be unable to trust others or make friends
- believe they are to blame for the traumatic event
- lack self-confidence
- experience stomachaches or headaches
POSSIBLE INTERVENTIONS
✅ Brain-State Model, Safe Place and Self-Regulation Strategies by The Conscious Discipline Approach
✅ Creating a Safe and Supportive School with Second Step SEL
✅ Building Resilience with Second Step SEL and/or Strategies in Fostering Resilience Infographic by Prevent Child Abuse Illinois
✅ IF NEEDED, refer to experts and seek therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Child-Parent Psychotherapy by NCTSN
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Antisocial behavior/Rebellion
Foster trust and open communication
Establish a supportive classroom environment
Reduced attention span
Offer recorded lectures and extended assignment time
Implement flexible learning arrangements
Collaborate on suitable accommodations
Provide outlets for emotional expression
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Set individualized goals and recognition
Bullying
(Trey)
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EFFECTS
Being bullied can severely affect a child’s or teen's self-image, social interactions, or school performance, and can lead to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and substance use, and even suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Signs that a child is being bullied may be physical, emotional, behavioral, social, or academic. Short- and long-term effects of bullying may include:
Stress, anxiety, and depression
Anger or frustration
Loneliness and isolation
Feelings of rejection, or poor self-esteem
Changes in sleep and eating patterns
Health complaints
Poor relational skills
School avoidance, including missing or dropping out of school
Poor academic performance
Separation anxiety
Self-injury
Eating disorders
Suicidal or homicidal ideas or actions
WHAT IT IS
"Bullying is a deliberate and unsolicited action that occurs with the intent of inflicting social, emotional, physical, and/or psychological harm to someone who often is perceived as being less powerful (Peterson, 2020)"
References
Peterson, S. (2020, July 14). Bullying. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/bullying
Listen, reassure the student they are safe, teach them calming techniques, consider counseling if severe
Listen, teach the student to take a timeout, once they are calm talk, consider counseling if severe
Help the student find an interest and things to keep them busy, partner the student with similar students to spark connections
This symptom may show more at home, so partner with parents to learn details and help make a plan to remedy these symtoms.
Talk about the feelings and the event(s) that may have spurred the feelings. Praise the students accomplishments. Embrace a growth mindset. Make failing safe. Try again.
Listen. Learn about their health complaints. Differentiate lessons to allow the student to fully participate. Encourage health promotion learning. Involve the school nurse or supportive services if severe.
Model good relational skills in your interaction with the student. Help them develop community with other class members. Create opportunities for the student to practice their relational skills in a safe environment.
Involve parents to partner in helping the student to arrive on time. Form strong relationships with students to help school feel like a safe, welcoming place. Try to teach the real world relevancy of lessons to students.
Adjust their workload to attainable goals. Praise improvements. Find student interests and motivators to increase engagement
Acknowledge the student and parent's feelings. Create a calm classroom. Consult a professional.
Partner with parents. Learn about the student's signs and symptoms of self injury. Create a support group; maybe just a couple of kids sitting at the same table that interact well with the student and who the student gets along with. Consult a psychological professional.
Partner with parents. Involve a medical professional. Help the student feel good about themselves and their appearance.
This could be dangerous to the student themself as well other students. This symptom is way beyond the training of a second language English teacher. A teacher's role is recognition of these symptoms. Once known, Involve parents, involve the school, involve medical professionals. Make the classroom a safe place. Create a calming corner or a place for students to calm down when they are feeling emotional.
Neglect
Description:
Symptoms & Possible Risk Outcomes
Examples
What Teachers can do
What supporters can do
A kind of ACE
Can be Physical and/or Emotional Neglect
"One of the most pervasive yet misunderstood forms of child maltreatment is child neglect."
Child neglect is “the absence of sufficient attention, responsiveness, and protection that are appropriate to the age and needs of a child.”
Given that neglect is the absence of an appropriate response based on the developmental needs of a child, neglect means something different at each developmental stage.
For infants and young children, being left unattended threatens their very survival, as they are not able to feed themselves or protect themselves from danger such as acute injuries, burns, near drowning, and animal bites. Infants also rely on caregivers to meet their equally important need for love and emotional nurturance. Infants left alone to cry without soothing, or those with parents who are physically present but reject their emotional needs, are also at risk of experiencing overwhelming stress, without the ability to communicate what they need or feel.
For school-aged children, neglect could lead to them missing out on important developmental experiences, such as having help with homework and participating in activities that enrich their development (e.g., playing with friends, extracurricular activities). Children who are neglected may also experience social isolation or teasing if they do not have access to clean clothing and hygiene products.
Although adolescents are increasingly capable of meeting many of their own physical needs, they still rely on a responsive caregiver to support them through major life transitions. Experiences of neglect could result in a reduced ability to make safe decisions and increased likelihood of substance abuse and other risky behaviors. Some teens may feel stressed over increased responsibilities, such as caring for younger siblings, without adult guidance and support.
ACEs promote "Toxic Stress:" This excessive activation of the stress response system can lead to long lasting wear-and-tear on the body and brain.
their bodies’ stress response system becomes activated. Repeated instances of having their bodies flooded with stress hormones can result in bodily changes that increase risk for long-term health problems. Children neglected in early childhood can also experience changes in brain structure and functioning that lead to long-term difficulties with attention, learning, high-level thinking and problem solving, managing emotions, and more
Neglect can hinder the ability to form stable and supportive relationships with caregivers, which can then extend to relationship difficulties later in life.
In later childhood, there is evidence that children who are neglected are particularly at risk for experiencing depression and shame, impairments in cognition, language, and emotion regulation10 as well as other social-emotional difficulties
Monitor symptoms over time
Maintain routines
Talk about the traumatic event
Use a ‘buddy’ or ‘support’ system
Safe ‘relaxation’ spaces
Provide choices – regain control
Anticipate difficult times and plan ahead
Prepare children and adolescents for situations which may trigger reactions
Focus on strengths and positives
Help students to build a support system
Teacher self-care
Provide reassurance to the child that they are safe and loved and that the adults are doing everything they can to ensure their safety. This also includes responding to children’s needs in a culturally and developmentally appropriate manner.
Begin or return to routines in the home. Bedtime routines, and other predictable patterns in the day create calmness and predictability for trauma-impacted youth and structure for the caregiver.
Teach and practice regulation skills. Strategies to calm the stress response include diaphragmatic “belly” breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or other calming activities. Help a caregiver learn to regulate their own
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Set clear and firm limits/expectations of behaviour
Tyler Hoy
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Possible Symptom: Insomnia and trouble sleeping
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Possible Symptom: nightmares
Possible Symptom: Anxiety
Possible Symptom: Anger
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Response Strategies for Traumatic Stress
Recommend trauma councilling and a psychological evaluation by an educational psychologist.
Focus on strategies to regulate emotions and calm the nervous system
Grounding exercises can help to relieve the 5 senses.
Following a fixed routine, keeping the day predictable with no surprises. In a classroom and school that means keeping to a fixed schedule, helping the student know how much time is left in a lesson before a transition and what to expect at the start of a lesson.
Valudate and acknowledge the feelings of the child.
Work through strategies with a counsellor to express feelings and emotions, journalling or drawing feelings. An example is Zones of Regulation and Mind Ninja.
Creating a safe space for sharing and speaking about feelings
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References:
Coelho, S. (2022, January 25). What Is Traumatic Grief? Retrieved November 16, 2023, from Psych Central website: https://psychcentral.com/health/traumatic-grief#definition
Cohen, Judith A, et al. Treating Trauma and Traumatic Grief in Children and Adolescents. 2nd ed., New York, The Guilford Press, 2017.
Trauma-Informed Care | Early Connections. (2020). Retrieved November 12, 2023, from Mo.gov website: https://earlyconnections.mo.gov/professionals/trauma-informed-care
Wallerstein, J. S., & Blakeslee, S. (1989). What's the future for children of divorce?. Human Development, 32(5), 331-345.
Kelly, J. B., & Emery, R. E. (2003). Children's adjustment in divorced and intact families: Part I. The first two years of the postdivorce process. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42(2), 119-126
Divorce can be a traumatic event for children due to the disruption of their sense of security, stability, and belonging. The loss of a parent from the daily home environment, exposure to parental conflict or acrimony, and uncertainty about their future can lead to various negative consequences, including:
Emotional distress: Children may experience a range of emotions, such as sadness, anxiety, anger, guilt, and fear. They may feel abandoned, rejected, or responsible for their parents' separation.
Behavioral problems: Children may exhibit behavioral issues such as acting out, withdrawing from social activities, or struggling with schoolwork. These behaviors may be a way of expressing their underlying emotional distress.
Long-term effects: The impact of divorce can extend into adulthood, increasing the risk of mental health problems, relationship difficulties, and academic or career struggles.
PTSD (cam)
Acute
Chronic
Complex
Delayed Onset
Changes in physical and emotional reactions
Negative thought patterns and moods
Intrusive thoughts or memories
Avoidance
Student needs space and time off in a calm and safe area
Student may need to go through SEL process to smoothen out their emotional state
Student needs someone to talk to or to go through SEL to process their emotions
Student needs someone to talk to or to go through SEL to process their emotions
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What's PTSD and the Effects?
PTSD is defined as a psychiatric disorder that involves intense distress and disruption in one’s life after exposure to a traumatic experience. Anyone, including children, can be exposed to trauma and potentially develop PTSD, whether they experience the trauma themselves, personally witness it happen to someone else, or learn that a loved one had a traumatic event.
Aliki Stavrou
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How teachers can support students
Possible Symptom: depression or anxiety
Possible Response: Seek assistance from the school counsellor and advocate for the child to obtain professional help
Possible Response: Explicitly teach what the different emotions are & how to express them(VL)
Definition: exposure to multiple traumatic events, events are severe & pervasive, such as abuse or profound neglect
VL
For more info:
https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/complex-trauma
Possible Symptom: Body dysregulation - over and under respond to stimuli
Possible Response: practice coping skills daily- and to start practicing when everything is calm, gradually increasing to using the skills when under distress.
https://www.birchcounselingdurham.com/single-post/2018/01/26/4-6-tips-for-parenting-kids-with-complex-trauma
Traumatic stress due terrorism or war
Symptoms & Response
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Flashbacks and Intrusive Memories - Encourage grounding techniques such as deep breathing or focusing on the present moment.
Avoidance Behavior - Foster a safe environment and gradually expose individuals to triggers with their consent.
Hyperarousal (Heightened State of Alertness) - Teach relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation or guided imagery.
Difficulty Concentrating - Provide a structured and supportive learning environment with breaks and clear instructions.
Sleep Disturbances - Encourage a consistent sleep routine and relaxation practices before bedtime.
Emotional Numbing - Promote expression of emotions through creative outlets or counseling.
Create a Safe Environment - Foster a classroom atmosphere that promotes safety and understanding.
Provide Predictability - Establish routines and schedules to create a sense of predictability.
Provide Predictability - Establish routines and schedules to create a sense of predictability.
Encourage Peer Support - Facilitate group activities that promote peer support and connection.
Offer Flexible Learning Options - Allow for alternative assignments or flexible deadlines to accommodate individual needs.
Collaborate with Support Services - Work closely with school counselors or mental health professionals to provide additional support.
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Experiencing traumatic stress due to terrorism or war can manifest in various symptoms. Possible risk outcomes may include increased anxiety, depression, social isolation, or even post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By understanding and addressing these symptoms, educators can contribute to a supportive and inclusive learning environment for students affected by traumatic stress.
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Resources:
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file:///Users/alikistavrou/Downloads/Supporting%20Youth%20Affected%20by%20War%20in%20Ukraine%202022%20(2).pdf