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7 - Building Race-Centered, Trauma-Responsive Schools: One Path toward Justice in Education

from Part Two - Prevention with Children and Youth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2024

By
Christopher T. H. Liang ,
Brooke Kohler ,
Keya Williams ,
Teresa Rosenberger ,
Jessica M. Safi  and
Malaïka Gutekunst
Edited by
Sally M. Hage
Sally M. Hage
Affiliation:
Springfield College
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Summary

Given the mental health problems noted in schools as well as the high levels of trauma and disproportionate number of Black and Brown students referred for discipline or special education services, it is necessary to shift focus away from ameliorative change efforts. Transforming the culture and policies of schools – from punishment-based to relationship and trauma-responsive – is one way to increase opportunities for psychological and academic wellness while also disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. A race-centered, trauma-responsive school approach that shifts attention away from a sole focus on individual-level (e.g., teaching mindfulness skills) and punishment-based (e.g., suspension) interventions often delivered to youth and instead proposes solutions at the level of the teacher, classroom, and school is presented in this chapter. This chapter provides an overview of the impacts and disparities in the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences, reviews the trauma-responsive school framework, and provides a case study of how race-centered, trauma-responsive schools can be used as a preventive strategy to reduce negative outcomes for children of the global majority.

Keywords

trauma-responsiveadverse childhood experiencesracism
Type
Chapter
Information
An Ounce of Prevention
Evidence-Based Prevention for Counseling and Psychology
 , pp. 130 - 152
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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