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Addressing Childhood Trauma in School Settings: A Framework for Evidence-Based Practice

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Abstract

Supporting evidence and intervention resources for addressing childhood trauma are growing, with schools indicated as a potentially critical system for service delivery. Multiple points for prevention and intervention efforts in schools are possible, but in this manuscript, we review evidence on trauma-specific interventions targeted to students exhibiting negative symptoms. Trauma-specific interventions with evidence and utility for school-based delivery are highlighted, along with key considerations in selection. In addition, we discuss the potential to maximize the impact of trauma-specific interventions for individual students when delivered as part of a school-wide trauma-informed approach that incorporates system-level prevention and intervention strategies. Future directions for research on trauma-specific interventions and trauma-informed approaches in school settings are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut, 249 Glenbrook Rd. (U-3064), Storrs, CT, 06269, USA

    Sandra M. Chafouleas & Taylor A. Koriakin

  2. SRI International, Menlo Park, USA

    Katrina D. Roundfield

  3. Tulane University, New Orleans, USA

    Stacy Overstreet

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  1. Sandra M. Chafouleas
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  2. Taylor A. Koriakin
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  3. Katrina D. Roundfield
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  4. Stacy Overstreet
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Correspondence to Sandra M. Chafouleas.

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Chafouleas, S.M., Koriakin, T.A., Roundfield, K.D. et al. Addressing Childhood Trauma in School Settings: A Framework for Evidence-Based Practice. School Mental Health 11, 40–53 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-018-9256-5

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