Calmer Classrooms - A Guide to Working with Traumatised Children
A document by the Victorian: Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disabilities Services
Attachment and early security: building resilience
Help the child to know their own feeling states by giving words to their experiences (oh, you look tired, what a beautiful smile - you look so happy, you're really upset now).
Help the child to regulate their body and to know physical boundaries by holding them , touching, playing with them and comforting them.
Without these early experiences we grow up not recognising or understanding our emotional and physical states and consequently not making good decisions and judgments, not able to manage strong emotions and lacking trust in the world.
If we don't get attuned and loving early care ourselves, we tend to act on our emotions, not being able to think or put the other's needs first.
Over time, as the process of exposure to stress followed by protection and comfort is repeated, the child develops an ability to rely on an internal sense of security, and resilience is built.
Attachment, trauma and the impact on development
Trauma occurs when an event is so frightening it cause a prolonged alarm reaction, where the body is primed and pumped with chemicals and enzymes such as adrenaline and does not calm down to a long time.
80% of human trauma occurs within the family setting/
Children who have suffered chronic abuse or neglect often experience developmental delays across a broad spectrum, including cognitive, language, motor and socialisation skills. Trauma affects the whole person; their mind, brain, body spirit and relationships with others.
Children with 'Development Trauma Disorder (van der Kolk) 'manifest in multiple ways their tendency to re-enact and replicate the trauma throughout their lives.
Because these children are prone to experience everything as novel, including rules and other protective interventions, as punishments, they tend to regard therapists and teachers, who try to establish safety as perpetrators.
Impact on the Brain and Body
When someone is traumatised by extreme or repeated events of abuse, chemical reactions in the body and brain can be switched on as if they have never been switched off.
'Each time a (traumatised person) has a flash back or nightmare, or is merely startled by a sudden sound or movement, his heart, lungs, muscles blood vessels, and immune system are primed to save their life - from nothing at all.' (Beaulieu 2003)
Their reduced capacity to regulate strong emotions leads them straight to reaction, with no time to think. There are two reactions associated with affect dysregulation;
Hyperarousal - children are hyperactive, hyper-vigilant, alarmed, prone to aggression or flight.
Dissociation - disengaged, numb, compliant and inattentive.
'Many traumatised children and adults who were traumatised as children, have noted that when they are under stress they can make themselves 'disappear'. That is, they can watch what is going on from a distance while having the sense that what is occurring is not really happening to them, but to someone else.' van der Kolk, 1996
Trauma effects thinking. Children who have experienced trauma often seem disorganised. This is sometimes due to the fact that some victim's cope by refusing to conceive of their caregivers thoughts, thus avoiding having to think about their caregivers wish to harm them. They close down any thoughts that come into their minds. Eventually they will hardly think about anything.
This makes social situations difficult as we need to be able to things about what other people might be thinking.
Self-harm is common in children who have been traumatised, sometimes due to the endorphin release and sometimes out of a profound self-hatred. Others self harm to overcome the numb and alienated feelings that come from dissociation. Some may even internalise the aggression of the abuser and then become the victims of their own aggression.
Creating Connection and Defusing Conflict
Dissociation - disengaged, numb, compliant and inattentive.
'Many traumatised children and adults who were traumatised as children, have noted that when they are under stress they can make themselves 'disappear'. That is, they can watch what is going on from a distance while having the sense that what is occurring is not really happening to them, but to someone else.' van der Kolk, 1996
Trauma effects thinking. Children who have experienced trauma often seem disorganised. This is sometimes due to the fact that some victim's cope by refusing to conceive of their caregivers thoughts, thus avoiding having to think about their caregivers wish to harm them. They close down any thoughts that come into their minds. Eventually they will hardly think about anything.
This makes social situations difficult as we need to be able to things about what other people might be thinking.
Self-harm is common in children who have been traumatised, sometimes due to the endorphin release and sometimes out of a profound self-hatred. Others self harm to overcome the numb and alienated feelings that come from dissociation. Some may even internalise the aggression of the abuser and then become the victims of their own aggression.
Intervention and Recovery
Research shows that the earlier the intervention is applied, the more efficient it is. Recovery cannot happen if the child is not feeling safe. Also, for us to be happy we need to know that there is someone who cares about us. That is the basis of security.
Recovery can take place only within the context of relationships; it cannot occur in isolation. (Herman 1992/1997)
The impact of abuse and neglect on learning
Academic Performance
Some children with severe early neglect and/or severe traumatic experiences have cognitive delays.
Students who are highly aroused have attention difficulties, which then lead to academic and cognitive problems as the child finds it difficult to concentrate on learning.
Some students will have trouble sleeping at night this could be due to fear of what might happen in the night or that they have never been taught to settle themselves. Others will develop internal patterns of hyperarousal, anxiety and fear which interfere with their sleeping patterns. This means that the child will be unable to concentrate in class.
Some traumatised children may be overwhelmed by memories of abuse, which preoccupy them and reduce their capacity to concentrate.
Trauma and attachment disruption reduce the capacity to listen and retain information, to understand complex concepts and to express ideas and thoughts. Early relationships should be rich in language, including the language of emotions and relationships.
Social Functioning
Traumatised children might try to control their environment and the adults within it due to the fact that they had no control over what happened to them earlier in life.
These children may have not had secure attachments at home and may struggle to attach at school and may need help to do this. Some children might like the security of school if their home life is unpredictable. If students have moved schools several times they might perceived themselves as being 'alien' to the school environment, different to and deviant from peers.
If students are moving school as well as home, this is a double whammy.
Affect dysregulation: seen as hyperarousal or dissociation
Hyperarousal usually goes hand in hand with hypervigilance. The child is constantly on alert and unable to listen or focus.
Disssociative children often do not know how they feel; seem distance, vague and unreachable and they may become oppositional as s response to a demand for attention, contact or closeness. They often do not want to think.
Children who have been abused and neglected have intense shame responses. It is as though all the humiliation of the abuse is triggered at any time they perceive themselves as failing or wrong; leaving them feeling very bad about themselves.
People who live with toxic shame feel fundamentally disgraced, intrinsically worthless, and profoundly humiliated in their own skin, just for being themselves ... toxic shame arises when as individual's inner core is tormented through rejection.' (Garbarino, 1999).
Disssociative children often do not know how they feel; seem distance, vague and unreachable and they may become oppositional as s response to a demand for attention, contact or closeness. They often do not want to think.
Children who have been abused and neglected have intense shame responses. It is as though all the humiliation of the abuse is triggered at any time they perceive themselves as failing or wrong; leaving them feeling very bad about themselves.
People who live with toxic shame feel fundamentally disgraced, intrinsically worthless, and profoundly humiliated in their own skin, just for being themselves ... toxic shame arises when as individual's inner core is tormented through rejection.' (Garbarino, 1999).
Calmer Classrooms
Relationship-based Practices
Creating Connection and Defusing Conflict
- The most effective a strategy a teacher can have is a good understanding of the child's background and the reasons behind their behaviour and empathy for them.
- Keep the child close beside you; giving losts of support and supervision (as for a small child). You may need to walk beside them to help them calm down.
- avoid showing emotion when the child makes you angry or upset (don't let them control your emotions).
- instead of giving warnings, help the child comply. Warnings and second-chances do not work so well with these children as they don't form attachments and probably see no value in pleasing adults and establishing relationships.
- When a problem arises, address it directly and calmly; giving the child clear direction and an outcome that is controlled by you.
- Time out might replicate the rejection that the child has experienced and reinforces the child's internal view of being unlovable. Reframe their disruptionn as a need for your attention and help.
- Consequences should be natural consequences and be designed to repair damage and relationships
'Seeing that you spent a lot of time swearing this morning. I want you
to come to the library with me and we will look up some other words
you can say when you're angry.'
- If they are seeking your attention - give it to them. It won't be too long before they are so disillusioned with the adult world that they no longer seek your attention, and then they will be so much harder to connect with and to help.
- These students might try to control situations and to engaged their teachers in power battles. Offering choices, any of which get the job done, is useful.
- You, as the teacher, are in charge of the relationship; keep anger and frustration out of your voice
- When helping a child to self-regulate use a soothing voice to remind the child that you are helping them by removing them to a quieter place.
- After an incident, help the child to understand what happened. Ask the child to reflect on what was happening for them before and during the event. Children will often say 'I don't know,' in this instance you can respond by saying 'It must be hard and confusing not to know how you are feeling then difficult things happen. Then provide the child of a narrative of the narrative you have gathered. Check the child has heard and understood; listen to their story and agree to change the narrative if there is a mistake that does not contradict your observation or you know to be true. Make sure the child has heard a comprehensive narrative about the event.
Self-care for Teachers
Reflection
Regulation
Relaxation
Reflection:
- Reflect on the child's behaviour ... What are they doing, and why might they have been doing it?
- What are they trying to tell you through their behaviour?
- What are my thoughts and feelings, can I regulate myself?
- What are my responses in relation to the child's behaviour?
- Where is our relationship at? Is the child able to connect with me and listen, to take strength from the support I am offering?
- What assistance do I need to do this work?
- What can I talk to about how I feel?
