I wouldn't go into telomere length or that experiencing lots of adversity could make you die 20 yrs earlier due to immune, brain, and hormonal changes in the body --- not with 11 - 13 year old kids. I don't think that would be really hurtful, I just think it would be too abstract and not really helpful and the death thing could scare some kids who are likely living already with a lot of rage/shame/and fear--who may have also actually experienced death --- due to domestic violence or a violent community or otherwise.
I would discuss with the kids how it is normal to feel betrayed, to feel angry about real injustice that has occurred to them. I would give a compassionate response that shows that you understand the anger, the rage, the real betrayal by adults who make rules for children to follow but who don't play by those same rules themselves and that you understand even the sense that children will have about the injustice of people in the school who may sense that the kids have "lots of bad things happening at home" but those adults aren't doing anything about this. Kids feel adults are supposed to care and support them and there can even be rage (appropriate rage I must say) at school teachers who don't want to know or care or share in the child's pain that will lead to more acting out.. It is normal….. Why should I (a child) follow the rules of adults who don't care about me? Not only that, I am really mad, no one cares about me…no one will protect me, i never feel safe, I am not safe. Kids need adults to teach affect regulation which a compassionate response and mindful activities can help do --- a punitive approach will never help nor will it give kids what they need and deserve. Adults who stay calm help kids to stay calm. Adults who are compassionate with kids help kids to become compassionate.
I would go to this website, mindfulkids and learn some of the activities and start doing some of the activities with the kids: https://mindfulkids.wordpress.com (I would even refer the teachers to it and the kids could do some of this at home --- I might refer the teachers to it by example--- as you share with the kids some of the teachers may become interested in what you are doing).
i would share the trauma toolbox with the teachers and look for a great video from Harvard Center on Toxic Stress….
http://www.aap.org/en-us/advoc...ma-Guide.aspx#trauma
I would bring the modified Spokane ACEs handout for parents to the school teachers and give it to all of them https://www.pacesconnection.com/...andoutJan2015-v2.pdf . I would have them see the article Jane wrote about Lincoln School http://acestoohigh.com/2012/04...-expulsions-drop-85/
And most importantly when working with the staff, I would do everything in small steps….. Educate slowly so it has time to sink in. The lack of awareness in our society is as massive as parched earth in the Mojave Desert and the kind of educational down pour I describe would only become a torrent in a flooded river leading out to sea. Educate like gentle rain so the knowledge and understanding can slowly change long held ideas and beliefs and punitive approaches to hurt kids can be respectful to trauma's effects on kids and compassionate in speech, thought and action.
I have another concern here. "Shocked and saddened' is not the correct response of staff to a boy who tells them he was sexually abused at a discipline hearing. All teachers are mandated reporters to Child Welfare. Now maybe this boy has already been reported but it sounds like there is a lot of suspicion for abuse in several of these kids --- and where there was past abuse there is likely present, current ongoing abuse. This is an ethical dilemma--- teachers and probably you in your role are Mandated Reporters to child welfare. Teachers are supposed to report suspected abuse and neglect to CPS. Abuse cannot ethically be ignored. No you aren't the therapist but do these abused kids even have a therapist at all or will they if no one brings up the concerns that are evident to all? I know how hard this is, it is something many of my colleagues in medicine try to avoid. I think this is something this school needs to think about, are they following their ethical, moral and legal responsibilities? (Now I know CPS is no panacea and that reporting in itself is a traumatic process).
Also school districts are mandated through IDEA to develop IEP's for social-emotional development (though I have seen few that seem to know how to do this correctly and the process is confusing to me). http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/schoolage/
http://www.parentcenterhub.org...s/repo_items/gr3.pdf
Please also remember (if you have any -- but I doubt you do as this is an alternative school -- but those boys and girls who are very quiet, shy and won't play and at times won't even move -- those kids who look like they are working at being invisible -- you may not even notice because they have become so good at being invisible -- no one notices --- they are likely very hurt too).
I actually think with education that helps the teachers / administrators come to their own conclusion that their current punitive practices are actually not effective in bringing out the positive changes they truly want for their students and allowing them to see that with a compassionate approach…. they can actually accomplish the positive changes they would like to see…. I bet you can get people to sign on…...