Teachers' experiences supporting children after traumatic exposure

Abstract

Teachers can be instrumental in supporting children's recovery after trauma, but some work suggests that elementary school teachers are uncertain about their role and about what to do to assist children effectively after their students have been exposed to traumatic stressors. This study examined the extent to which teachers working with children from ages 8 to 12 years report similar concerns. A random sample of teachers in the Netherlands (N = 765) completed a questionnaire that included 9 items measuring difficulties on a 6-point Likert scale (potential range of total scores: 9-54). The mean total difficulty score was 29.8 (ranging from 10 to 50; SD = 7.37). On individual items, the fraction of teachers scoring 4 or more varied between 25 and 63%. A multiple regression analysis showed that teachers' total scores depended on amount of teaching experience, attendance at trauma-focused training, and the number of traumatized children they had worked with. The model explained 4% of the variance, a small effect. Because traumatic exposure in children is rather common, the findings point to a need to better understand what influences teachers' difficulties and develop trauma-informed practice in elementary schools.