Secondary Traumatic Stress: Supporting Educators So They Can Support Students
This resource is part of a series on the Comprehensive School-Based Violence and Victimization Program from LISC Safety & Justice and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). DOJ OJJDP provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to youth delinquency and victimization.
Overview
Working with students experiencing trauma such as community violence can itself be a traumatic experience. Learn how to identify signs of Secondary Traumatic Stress in teachers and staff and help them access the resources they need to remain effective educators and advocates for students.
It is conservatively estimated that 1 in 4 children attending schools in the United States has been exposed to a traumatic event that can affect learning and behavior.1 Further, 61% of adults have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, with many experiencing two or more.2 During the pandemic 4 in 10 adults have reported symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorder, an increase by roughly 30% since 2019.3 We are all experiencing a collective trauma and we can no longer educate as if it is not affecting our students, ourselves, and our educational and community systems as a whole.
Trauma responsive school-wide and community-wide initiatives require a resilient workforce that can attune to the needs of children and families. However, in the midst of a global pandemic in which much of the public is experiencing traumatic stress symptoms and worsening mental health conditions, the health of our educators and of our workforce must be addressed in parallel. In this brief, secondary traumatic stress will be defined and explored, along with ways educators and school communities can respond to mitigate its impact.
Resources on this page are supported by Grant 2019-MU-MU-K011, awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this web site (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).
OJJDP provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to youth delinquency and victimization. The Office helps states, localities, and tribes develop effective and equitable juvenile justice systems that create safer communities and empower youth to lead productive lives.