School-Based Interventions

Childhood trauma is associated with lower school performance and decreased grade point averages. Also, many traumatized children in need of help does not receive it, which again may cause additional challenges for schools in supporting them. Schools may provide an optimal arena for interventions because they provide access to all children on a regular basis and over time. In this chapter, we first discuss some of the underlying concepts related to school-based interventions, before considering the particular challenges schools address in meeting the needs of children who have experienced traumatic events. We highlight the importance of a general foundation of empathy and support, crisis management plans, and procedures for traumatic incidents. We also touch upon the newly emerging concept of trauma-informed schools. We then provide an example of effective trauma-informed practice by introducing “Teaching Recovery Techniques,” a procedure that was developed by the Children and War Foundation in which one of the authors (AD) took part. Finally, we give a brief overview of the evidence base for interventions.