Building Trauma Informed Schools: A Survey of Teachers’ Knowledge, Skills and Needs

Teachers regularly find themselves in situations when they are dealing with students who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and trauma. In a survey of public school K-12 teachers in a New England school district, this article analyzes their trauma-related knowledge, skills and needs. While they feel they are doing the best they can, most do not have formal training on how to identify trauma in students or how best to address it. Most indicate that they do not have sufficient background in trauma identification, prevention or treatment and they feel they would benefit from it. Building trauma-informed schools will provide both teachers and students with greater supports and systems for more successfully addressing the traumas they carry.