Abstract

Abstract

Trauma has played a different role in everyone it has encountered. Trauma has affected individual’s lifestyles, relationships, mental health, and physical well-being. It has a way of letting people look at one another differently and with judgment. It can keep hidden in individuals for years and come out when they least expect it. It is not meticulous when it comes to whom it wants to plant its seed in. How people react to individuals with trauma is often with empathy, but in certain situations, there are some people that can persecute and turn a blind eye.

Acknowledging trauma as a real entity should be important in the world that we now live in. It is important for individuals who have experienced unimaginable situations in their life to acknowledge the need to ask for guidance so they can start to heal. It is important for parents to acknowledge trauma as a real monster to their children and to have the ability to empathize with them. It is important for community partners to acknowledge trauma as a responsibility of theirs and to form partnerships with their schools and families to provide resources for individuals and families who need the extra support in their recovery. It is also important for schools to acknowledge trauma in their students and provide them with ways to face and cope with their emotions in a positive manner while giving them a safe place to speak their truth.

Staff personnel working in a school district have seen the impact on little ones who have experienced trauma. It has shown them all staff personnel must be empathic with their students. Knowing their students, the background of their families and the type of environment they live in is imperative to understand their trauma.

The research includes material from trauma trainings, behavioral trainings, social emotional learning trainings, materials taught in college classes on trauma, for example, child abuse, sibling abuse, and domestic and intimate partner violence. Research also is from scholarly journal articles and licensed therapists.

The research will show the positive impact that a social emotional learning curriculum, family engagements and community partnerships including resources can have for children in their school systems. Children with trauma often act out in negative ways due to the traumatic events in their life. Children need to be taught how to positively react to their emotions, so academics are not lost on them. A social emotional learning curriculum gives them the tools they need to learn how to positively deal with the many emotions some of our children will experience in their many years of school. Academics is imperative for a child, but unless we teach them how to process their emotions in a positive way, they will not get the full academic experience they are entitled to.

Involving parents in the school environment can help provide families with the resources they need to be better parents for these children. A trust that is formed between the school and families can have a positive impact on everyone involved. Our priority should be providing a safe space for these children, giving them the knowledge to express their emotions in a positive way and encouraging parents to be active participants in the school setting.

Year Manuscript Completed

Fall 2022

Senior Project Advisor

George Barton

Degree Awarded

Bachelor of Integrated Studies Degree

Field of Study

Human Services

Document Type

Thesis

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