Educators
As an educator, you play a critical role in the lives of your students. You are not only responsible for their academic success, but also for their emotional well-being. Unfortunately, many students have experienced trauma, which can have a significant impact on their ability to learn and succeed in the classroom. That’s why it’s important to have a trauma-informed approach to teaching.
Our website provides a range of resources and training aides that can help you identify and respond to trauma in the classroom. From tips on creating a safe and supportive environment, supporting the whole student, training on the latest trauma-informed practices, and promoting academic success.
Signs of Abuse
As educators, you play a critical role in ensuring the safety and well-being of your students. Recognizing the signs of abuse is an important step in protecting children from harm. Information is provided on physical, sexual, emotional, abuse and neglect, including signs to look for and resources for reporting suspected abuse. By equipping educators with the knowledge and resources they need, we can work together to create safe and supportive classrooms for all children.
What to Look For:
Sexual Abuse - Physical Indicators
- Pain or itching in genital area.
- Bruises or bleeding in genital area.
- Sexually transmitted disease.
- Frequent urinary or yeast infections.
- Extreme or sudden weight change.
- Pregnancy under 12 years of age.
Sexual Abuse - Behavioral Indicators
- Withdrawal, chronic depression.
- Sexual behaviors or references that are unusual for the child’s age.
- Seductive or promiscuous behavior.
- Poor self-esteem, self-devaluation, lack of confidence.
- Suicide attempts (especially adolescents).
- Hysteria, lack of emotional control.
Physical Abuse - Physical Indicators
- Unexplained bruises (in various stages of healing), welts, loop marks.
- Adult/human bite marks.
- Bald spots or missing clumps of hair.
- Unexplained burns/scalds.
- Unexplained fractures, skin lacerations/punctures or abrasions.
- Swollen lips/chipped teeth.
- Linear/parallel marks on cheeks and temple area.
- Crescent-shaped bruising.
- Puncture wounds.
- Bruising behind the ears.
Physical Abuse - Behavioral Indicators
- Self-destructive/self-mutilation.
- Withdrawn and/or aggressive-behavior extremes.
- Uncomfortable/skittish with physical contact.
- Arrives at school late or stays late as if afraid to be at home.
- Chronic runaway (adolescents).
- Complains of soreness or moves uncomfortably.
- Wears clothing inappropriate to weather, to cover body.
- Lack of impulse control (e.g. inappropriate outbursts).
Emotional Abuse - Behavioral Indicators
- Self-destructive/self-mutilation.
- Withdrawn and/or aggressive-behavior extremes.
- Uncomfortable/skittish with physical contact.
- Arrives at school late or stays late as if afraid to be at home.
- Chronic runaway (adolescents).
- Complains of soreness or moves uncomfortably.
- Wears clothing inappropriate to weather, to cover body.
- Lack of impulse control (e.g. inappropriate outbursts).
Physical Neglect - Physical Indicators
- Unattended medical needs.
- Lack of supervision.
- Regular signs of hunger, inappropriate dress, poor hygiene.
- Distended stomach, emaciated.
- Significant weight change.
Physical Neglect - Behavioral Indicators
- Regularly displays fatigue or listlessness, falls asleep in class.
- Steals/hoards food, begs from classmates.
- Reports that no caretaker is at home.
What is a CAC?
Facts & Myths
As educators, you play a vital role in the prevention and identification of child abuse and neglect. It’s important to separate fact from fiction when it comes to understanding the signs and effects of abuse. Resources are provided to help you recognize the signs of abuse and dispel common myths that can prevent proper reporting and intervention. Together, we can create a safe and nurturing environment for all children to thrive.
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Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
We all want our children to have a safe and healthy childhood, but unfortunately, some children experience trauma that can have lasting impacts on their mental and physical health. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events or experiences that occur before the age of 18 and can include abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, and more.
It is important to understand the impact of ACEs on a child’s development and academic success. By recognizing and addressing the effects of trauma, we can create a safe and supportive learning environment for all students.
Resources and information on ACEs are provided, including what they are, how they can impact children, and strategies for addressing trauma in the classroom. We hope that these resources will help you in your efforts to create a trauma-informed approach to education.
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Resiliency
Resilience is an essential quality for both educators and students. In the face of adversity, it is vital to cultivate and maintain a positive outlook and the ability to bounce back. As an educator, you can provide a safe and supportive environment for students to develop resilience. Resources and tools to help you build resilience in yourself and your students are provided, including strategies for promoting self-care and stress management, creating a positive classroom climate, and building meaningful relationships with students. Join us in promoting resilience in our classrooms and communities.
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“In the context of exposure to significant adversity, resilience is both the capacity of individuals to navigate their way to the psychological, social, cultural, and physical resources that sustain their well-being, and their capacity individually and collectively to negotiate for these resources to be provided in culturally meaningful ways.”
–Dr. Michael Unger
Vicarious Trauma
As an educator, you may have heard about vicarious trauma, also known as secondary trauma, compassion fatigue or burnout. Vicarious trauma refers to the emotional and psychological impact that can occur when someone is exposed to the traumatic experiences of others. As an educator, you may be working with students who have experienced trauma, and it is important to recognize the signs of vicarious trauma in yourself and others, and to take steps to address it. We provide resources and information on how to recognize and address vicarious trauma in the educational setting, so that you can continue to provide the best possible support to your students.
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Training
As medical and clinical professionals, it’s important to have access to the
resources and tools necessary to provide effective care and support to your
patients, particularly those who have experienced trauma. That’s why we are
committed to providing a range of resources to support your professional
development in trauma-informed care.
Our organization offers a variety of resources, including guides, toolkits, and
online resources, to help you build the knowledge and skills necessary to provide
trauma-informed care. These resources are designed to provide you with the
latest research and best practices in the field of trauma-informed care, and to
give you practical tools and strategies for working with trauma survivors.
We believe that by providing you with access to these resources, we can help
you to provide the best possible care and support to your patients, and promote a
more compassionate and resilient healthcare system for all. Browse our
resources today to learn more about how we can support your professional
growth and development in trauma-informed care.
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Resources
As an educator, you play a critical role in recognizing and responding to child abuse and trauma. To help you navigate these difficult situations, a range of resources specifically tailored to your needs are provided. From informative articles on trauma-informed teaching strategies to online training modules and downloadable toolkits, we aim to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to support your students who may be experiencing abuse or trauma. Additionally, we offer a comprehensive list of external resources and organizations that can provide further support and guidance. The goal is to empower you to create a safe and supportive learning environment for all of your students.
ACEs
Trauma Informed Care
Mandatory Reporting
Resilience
Vicarious Trauma
Sexual Development
Relationship Violence
Teens
Tools, Screeners, & Assessments
As an educator, you play a critical role in identifying and supporting students who may have experienced trauma. The use of tools, screeners, and assessments can help you better understand a student’s experiences and needs. On our website, you can find a variety of resources that include trauma-informed screening tools and assessments that can help you identify the impacts of trauma on your students. These resources can assist you in creating a safe and supportive learning environment that meets the needs of all students. Explore our website to learn more about the different tools, screeners, and assessments available to support your trauma-informed teaching approach.
Mandatory Reporting
As an educator, you play a critical role in protecting the well-being of your students. Mandated reporting is a legal requirement that obligates you to report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect to the proper authorities. This includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Mandated reporting laws are in place to ensure that every child is safe and protected from harm. By fulfilling your duty as a mandated reporter, you can help to prevent child abuse and ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive.
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Trauma Informed Classrooms
Welcome, Educators! As professionals who work with children and adolescents, you understand the importance of creating safe and nurturing classrooms for your students. Trauma-informed care is an approach that recognizes the prevalence and impact of trauma on individuals and seeks to provide appropriate support and interventions. This approach is rooted in understanding how trauma can impact behavior, learning, and relationships. Resources and information to help educators implement trauma-informed practices in their classrooms and schools are provided.
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“Trauma-informed care is a strengths based framework that is grounded in an understanding of and responsiveness to the impact of trauma, that emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional safety for both providers and survivors, and that creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.”