Saplings in the Hurricane: A Grounded Theory of College Trauma and Identity Development

Research confirms trauma as pervasive in college student populations. Yet, a literature gap exists regarding the intersection of trauma and college student development. The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study, informed by situational analysis, was to understand how college student identity development is impacted by college trauma. Based on the experiences of 12 participants, a grounded theory model of college trauma and identity development emerged that includes three major components: (a) orienting systems that shape trauma meaning making; (b) identity sites where trauma meaning making connected to identity is made; and (c) a trauma-informed lens on self in the world.