Working with Trauma-Exposed Children and Adolescents: Evidence-Based and Age-Appropriate Practices

Far too often, children and youth experience trauma, from rare events such as mass shootings, terrorism attacks, and school lockdowns, to very common occurrences such as bullying, exposure to drugs and alcohol, or various mental health issues. They can experience these events both directly and indirectly (from surfing the internet, watching television, or through their friends). Our children spend a large portion of their day at school interacting with other students, teachers, and school personnel, where these topics are raised and discussed. This edited volume addresses how our teachers and school personnel can help students deal with these potentially traumatic events to reach the most positive possible outcomes.

This collection brings together leading experts, including academics and professionals working in the field, to provide the most current evidence-based practices on how to help students who may have experienced or witnessed trauma. It presents research and advice on how to respond to traumatic events regarding bullying; drugs and alcohol; sexual abuse; mental health; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) safety; stranger danger; childhood disruptive behaviours; school shootings and lockdowns; and terrorism. It also includes a chapter focused on how to implement a school safety program. Schools cannot deal with these issues alone; effective strategies must engage family members and the broader community. Hence, the collection includes a chapter on how schools can partner with families and the communities they reside in to bring about positive change. All this work pays close attention to cultural and religious sensitivity, socio-economic variabilities, diversity issues, and developmental stages.

Table of Contents

Introduction - Joanna Pozzulo and Craig Bennell

1. Talking About Bullying in the Classroom and Beyond - Tina Daniels and Nicole Summers
2. Addressing Problematic Substance Use in Adolescence: What Works? - Kara Thompson and Abby L. Goldstein
3. Talking to Young Children About Sexual Abuse Prevention - Sandy K. Wurtele and Maureen C. Kenny
4. Talking About Mental Illness in Classrooms and Communities - Julie A. Gocey and Shanda R. Wells
5. Promoting Safety for LGBTQ+ Kids in School Communities Brittany - J. Allen and Sherie Hohs
6. Reframing Stranger Danger: Online Child Sexual Exploitation - Roberta Sinclair, Kristin Duval, and Mauranne Ste-Marie
7. Using a Trauma-Informed Lens to Understand and Implement Evidence-Based Practices with Children Experiencing Disruptive Behavior in School and Beyond - Leena Augimeri, Erin Rajca, Monique Verpoort, Andrea Blackman, and Margaret Walsh
8. School Shootings and School Lockdowns - Jeffrey A. Daniels and Whitney Hyatt
9. Exposure to Terrorism and Political Violence - Judith A. Myers-Walls
10. Implementing School-Based Programs - Jonathan Pettigrew and Diana E. Gal
11. Schools: An Ideal Setting for Talking About Trauma - Philip J. Ritchie

Conclusion - Joanna Pozzulo and Craig Bennell

"This book fills an urgent need to provide teachers and school personnel with the most current evidence-based practices about helping students during exposure to trauma, and in the aftermath. Comprehensive in its coverage of rare traumatic events, such as school shootings, as well as common occurrences, such as bullying, each chapter contains highly-practical and accessible information. The book also includes resources for obtaining details about particular programs and materials mentioned in each chapter, and a quick "cheat sheet", that contains a set of key take-aways. Although the hope is that the need for this book will disappear one day, for now, this is THE book on trauma that anyone working with children in schools must own."
- Wendy K. Silverman, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, USA

"The authors identify common sources of trauma, provide clear definitions and helpful, practical ways for educators to intervene."
- Marleen Wong, USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, USA