A Deeper Look: How Trauma Affects Students Academic Behaviors
Introduction
When individuals such as family, friends, or peers witness students struggling in school, it is assumed that they are simply “misbehaving” or not trying hard enough. Yet, that is not always the case. What is often looked at as trouble, overlooks the role that trauma plays in students lives. It is never known exactly what students might be carrying, some hold experiences of violence, or abuse within their home environment. These experiences travel with them from outside their home, then into the classroom, shaping how students engage within their academics and peers.
By understanding trauma, it changes the way we will view students behavior. What might be labeled as a lack of effort, can be one’s response to stress,pain, PTSD, anxiety, etc. Understanding is the most effective tool.
Mental Health
Trauma holds an immense effect on a young adult’s mental health. Students who experience trauma(s) are at the high risk of developing depression, anxiety, traumatic stress disorders such as PTSD, etc. These conditions can make students feel overwhelmed, or stressed and distracted. This hinders their ability to think properly, and instead of paying attention in class they might be distracted by their thoughts, making their learning process harder.
Trauma impacts not only how students feel about themselves and their lives, but it impacts their academic performance and engagement with their peers. When students experience trauma it affects their grades and school activities (clubs, sports, extracurriculars, attendance, etc).
When schools start pointing their fingers to the students, they target it as “fixing” the “problem”, when it’s the wrong thing. Instead of focusing on proper trauma informed care practices, schools result in creating deeper risks, pulling the students away from wanting or seeking proper treatment. Responding only with punishment risks the root of the problem.
Why does this matter
Students are not able to focus on their academics and learning abilities if their needs are not being met properly. If students are feeling unheard it can lead them to pull away from their studies, explaining why they might struggle with their attention and behavior. Although it may feel as if they have no way to cope with their emotions, some students might demonstrate resilience, focusing heavily on their academics and setting high expectations for themselves. This is why the education system must implement trauma focused approaches that are beneficial to all students. Schools must stop basing help on one student’s experiences and treating all students to one policy, especially since all experiences are different.
– Creating safe, supportive classrooms
– Checking in with students, showing care and support
– Allowing students to express their emotions
– Teacher gestures
Challegnes
– There are limitations on what teachers can do
– Schools lack proper resources
– Does not improve home/out of school experiences
– Trauma is connected to deeper issues (typically rooted in the home)
Conclusion
Trauma has multiple impacts on a student’s academic performance and their behavior. Trauma is not something that can be ignored within school walls, nor is it something that can be treated the same as different individuals. Schools won’t be able to treat all student’s trauma, but they can implement supportive policies followed by a supportive setting. Awareness is how schools must move forward, increasing trauma informed care practices that are found amongst educational institutions.
References
Frieze, Stephanie. “How Trauma Affects Student Learning and Behaviour.” BU Journal of Graduate Studies in Education, 2015, pp. 1–8, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1230675.pdf.
Dods, Jennifer. “Bringing trauma to school: Sharing the educational experience of three youths.” Exceptionality Education International, vol. 25, no. 1, 21 Mar. 2015, https://doi.org/10.5206/eei.v25i1.7719.