"Traumatic events such as the school shootings in Sandy Hook and Columbine naturally call national media attention to the need for support services to assist the affected children and families. Much less in the media eye are the children attending school each week affected by toxic stress and trauma as a result of adverse childhood experiences such as chronic neglect and family violence. Regardless of the root of the trauma, those working in a capacity to support children can benefit from gaining a deeper understanding of how trauma affects child development and what intervention efforts have been effective in helping children heal. In addition, student support staff can be instrumental in advocating for changes in school and service system policies and protocols that exacerbate, rather than ameliorate, the experiences of trauma-affected children. This article focuses on the impact of trauma on development and the promise of trauma-informed schools. It examines how this approach may hold the key to improving the emotional and physical safety of students, while also improving academic and behavioral outcomes...."
http://cs.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/04/23/cs.cdt007.extract
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