PROTOCOL: Effects of trauma‐informed approaches in schools

Childhood trauma has been receiving increased attention and it is increasingly being recognized as a significant public health concern (Lang, Campbell, & Vanerploeg, 2015). Trauma exposure involves "actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence" that is either directly experienced or witnessed, or learning that any traumatic experiences have happened to a loved one, or having repeated exposure to details of traumatic events (APA, 2013, p. 271). Prevalence estimates of trauma experienced in childhood or adolescence vary by type of traumatic event (e.g., physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, witnessing violence, natural disasters) and how and when the traumatic experience is measured, but can range between 4% and 71% Exposure to traumatic events can disrupt brain development and can have immediate and lifelong adverse effects on social, emotional and physical wellbeing, including deficits executive functioning, developmental delays, behavioural health problems, difficulty regulating emotions and behaviour, academic performance and IQ, school behaviour problems, delinquency