Schools
/
Understanding The Impact of Trauma on Learning
Studies over the last twenty years have identified a critical link between academic achievement, exposure to community violence and other Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) with:
-
lower grade-point average (GPA)
-
higher school absenteeism
-
increased incidences of suspension and expulsion
-
decreased rates of high school graduation
-
decreased reading ability
-
greater involvement with the criminal system than that of their peers
Adverse Childhood Experiences include:
-
physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
-
physical or emotional neglect
-
a family member who is depressed or diagnosed with other mental illness, addicted to alcohol or another substance, or in prison
-
witnessing a mother being abused
-
losing a parent to separation, divorce
Furthermore, a single adverse experience or traumatic event can cause:
-
anger
-
mood swings
-
social withdrawal
-
concentration and memory difficulties
-
intrusive thoughts
-
interrupted sleep
-
nightmares
-
fall behind in school
-
fail to develop healthy relationships with peers
-
create problems with teachers and principals.
Research indicates that there is more to student success than cognitive ability, curriculum, and instruction. A student’s social emotional character and overall school climate can powerfully affect whether students learn and thrive in schools and in their communities.
​
All school stakeholders (students, parents, staff, and community) can make a difference when it comes to student social-emotional development and overall school climate.