By Marysa Enis and Maria Gregory
It’s been a traumatic week for California school children. There is no escaping the mood or hazy sky. There is no escaping the ash. At best, students can still go to school, but they can’t go to recess because the air is unsafe to breathe. At worst, children are displaced, scared, and grieving. The whole country is watching. And in the space between, people are trying to make sense of something terrifying.
As you probably know, this is what a traumatic event looks like — Or, we should say, can look like. Natural disasters … war … random acts of violence. Most people recognize the key players when it comes to trauma. As a country, we’ve gotten pretty good at discussing these issues, too. News feeds are starting to include conversations about mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). How to recognize signs and symptoms. How to support those in need, most notably our veterans.
But for educators and parents, there is more to the story than these big-picture issues. Caring for children is hard, and caring for children in crisis can feel downright impossible. So today, in support of California parents, educators, and children, we turn the conversation to trauma-informed care of kids.
Most people think of trauma as something acute, obvious, and rare. Perhaps it’s a single terrifying event, or maybe a prolonged period of abuse, that sticks with a person forever. Unfortunately, the true nature of trauma is more complex and prevalent.
In this article about trauma in children, the American Psychological Association gives disconcerting news: Across community samples, two-thirds of our children have been exposed to a traumatic event.
Actually, scratch that.
More than two-thirds of children. And, in all likelihood, more than one traumatic event. Right now, thousands of children in California are among them.
The odd and unexpected thing about trauma, though, is that there is no way to predict how any one person will respond to any one event. What may become life-altering for one child may become a fading memory for another. And why is that? Because (and you won’t be surprised here) each child is unique, and part of that uniqueness is the culmination of each child’s personal experience.
For children, these experiences include things like access to family support, friends, basic needs (food, water, sleep, shelter), stable living conditions, good health, and medical care. In the mental health community, we call some of these protective factors (the good things that, in essence, protect a child from the bad things). We call the others Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). In isolation and with ample support, a traumatic event does not have to turn into trauma. On the other hand, the more adversity in a child’s life, the more likely they are to suffer the ill-effects of trauma.
Right now, children across California are in the throes of a traumatic event. Fires are still burning. People are still wearing masks. Schools are still being cancelled. And most terrifying of all, hundreds of people are still missing.
While all this is happening, each child in California is processing. We can’t tell you what they’re processing or how they’re processing it. Brains are just too different from one another for us to do that (imagine small streams of water working their way down a mountain of sand – the flow is different every time). But what we can tell you is how to care for kids during this difficult time and, hopefully, be a protective influence in their lives.
The sheer number of adverse experiences in a child’s life can predict how they will respond to current events. When working with a child, consider what experiences they bring with them.
These are some common sources of trauma for kids:
Step Two: Know What to Expect
There are expected and unexpected responses to just about anything, traumatic events included. With that in mind, caretakers can expect children to show some level of distress in the days and weeks that follow.
Common responses include:
Step Three: Support Kids
The California Association of School Psychologists and the National Association of School Psychologists recommend the following for teachers (and we’ve sprinkled in our two cents, as well):
Want to learn more about caring for children with trauma?
In addition to the wealth of information provided by the National Association of School Psychologists, Psyched Services recommends:
Looking for more resources and support? Contact us today for a free consultation!