Trauma & Resilience: Implications for Education

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Trauma Resilience Implications for Education

• An Interdisciplinary Conference to Investigate
  How We Can Better Reach New York Citys
  Disconnected Youth through Education and Mental
  Health
• Dr. Caroline S. Clauss-Ehlers
• Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology
• Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University
• Private Practice, New York, New York

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Scenario 1

• The Case of Adelia
• A high school freshman adjusting high school life

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Scenario 2

• The case of Marielisa
• A high school senior transitioning to college

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Defining Trauma

• Psychiatric trauma -- An experience that is
  emotionally painful, distressful, or shocking and
  which may result in lasting mental and physical
  effects (Medical Dictionary).

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Trauma Symptoms

• Signs of trauma vary and change as a child
  develops, but trauma symptoms tend to be similar
  within certain age groups.

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Junior and Senior High School Symptoms

• Cognitive
• Problems concentrating, over concern regarding
  health
• Physical
• Headaches, vague complaints of pain, development
  of skin rashes, loss of appetite or overeating
• Emotional
• Depression, anxiety
• Behavioral
• Cant meet responsibilities, resumes earlier
  coping styles, withdraws socially, abuse
  drugs/alcohol, drop in school performance, sudden
  changes in attitude/style/relationships

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Factors that Increased PTSD After September 11th

• Being younger (400 increase)
• Family member exposed (200 increase)
• Female (88)
• Prior trauma history (65)
• Physical exposure (64)
• Identified as Latino/Mixed/Other for cultural
  background (22-28)
• (Applied Research Consulting, Columbia
  University Mailman School of Public Health New
  York State Psychiatric Institute, 2002)

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Relationship Between Factors and School
Environment

• Youth not going to school
• Latino parents fearful of sending their children
  to school
• Responsibilities increased in response to
  traumatic experience

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Cultural Implications of Trauma

• Self-blame, gender roles interpretation of the
  event (i.e., Latina woman felt she could have
  prevented the event, wifes job to sacrifice)
• Stigma (i.e., seeking psychological help is only
  for a una loca)
• Religious persecution (i.e.,Muslims threatened)
• Police presence (i.e.,unintentional
  re-traumatization)
• Number of sessions limited (i.e., only 3 per
  family against cultural value personalismo)

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Resilience to Trauma

• Process, capacity or outcome of successful
  adaptation despite challenges or threatening
  circumstances (Masten, Best Garmezy, 1990, p.
  426)
• Children develop resilience to traumatic
  situations in a variety of ways, but support from
  the family, community and school system can help
  the child build resilience

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Moving Towards Resilience Culturally Inclusive
Responses to Trauma

• Cultural Framework
• Search for the meaning of suffering and pain in
  relation to the culture
• Search for the meaning of death/life in the
  culture
• Traditions may help survivors feel re-connected
• (Clauss-Ehlers, C.S., Acosta, O., Weist, M.D.
  (2004). Responses to terrorism The voices of
  two communities speak out. In C.S. Clauss-Ehlers
  M.D. Weist (Eds.), Community planning to foster
  resilience in children (pp. 143-159). New York,
  NY Kluwer Academic Publishers.)

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Moving Towards Resilience Cultural Inclusive
Responses to Trauma

• Practical Problems
• Deal with the immediate problems that the
  individual is having difficultly handling
• Build Trust
• Assist with financial resources
• Help survivors focus on something tangible that
  they can accomplish over the next few days

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Moving Towards Resilience Cultural Inclusive
Responses to Trauma

• Specific Cross- Cultural Interventions
• Reduce isolation
• Relaxation techniques/Meditation
• Education about crisis in culturally relevant
  terms
• Community techniques
• Eye contact, pace of conversation, body language

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Junior and Senior High School Interventions

• Provide extra consideration and attention
• Be available to listen but dont force students
  to discuss experiences
• Encourage discussion of trauma experiences among
  peers
• Promote involvement with community recovery work
• Encourage participation in physical activities
• Encourage resumption of a regular routine

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Influences on Educational Resilience
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Importance of Classroom Practices

• Classroom practices
• Set high standards for all students, lots of
  student/teacher interaction, maintain a high
  level of student engagement, and tailor
  instruction to the needs of students, create a
  high achievement classroom setting
• Teacher
• Concern, expectations role modeling to reduce
  academic failure
• Close teacher/student relationships can reduce
  stress and provide support

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Importance of the Family

• Despite limited resources and severe hardship,
  home environment provides support and resources
• Positive factors positive parent/child
  relationship(s), family cohesion, assigned
  chores, responsibilities for the familys
  well-being
• School attendance achievement positively
  influenced by parents who monitor television
  viewing, read to young children on a daily basis,
  and express high expectations for academic
  success

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Importance of Curriculum

• Research suggests that the average remedial
  education program often adds to childrens
  learning problems
• Need learning activities and materials that
  promote higher levels of thinking and are
  responsive to student diversity
• Enhance students motivation and promotes
  educational resilience

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Importance of Community

• Communities that promote high moral academic
  expectations help foster resilience
• Social support helps to increase opportunities
  for children to develop new interests and skills

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Educational Opportunity Fund Research on College
Age Transitions A Model for Other States

• Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) programs were
  developed in New Jersey to provide access to
  higher education for financially disadvantaged
  students who are first- and second- generation
  college attendees
• First-generation means neither guardian earned a
  baccalaureate degree
• Second-generation means guardians earned at least
  one baccalaureate degree
• Students must pass this 6-week program in order
  to gain admissions to a 4-year college
  institution
• (Clauss-Ehlers, C.S., Wibrowski, C. (2007).
  Building resilience and social support The
  effects of an educational opportunity fund
  academic program among first- and
  second-generation college students. Journal of
  College Student Development, 24(5), 574-584.)

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EOF Program Intervention

• 6-week institute that met 5 days a week for
  approx. 7.5 hours a day
• Supportive components
• Each student assigned an EOF counselor
• Counseling on personal and academic issues
• Academic components
• Introduction to college English math, a science
  course in biology or geology, a course on
  strategies for academic success, public speaking
  course

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Positive Effects of EOF

• Results indicate that the summer EOF academic
  institute was associated with significant
  increases in resilience and participants sense
  of social support from program staff and peers

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Importance

• If educators and psychologists gain greater
  understanding of the processes that promote
  resilience in youth, they will be in a better
  position to support strengths and coping among
  all our children

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Q A