Traumatic experiences trigger a constellation of psychological and emotional symptoms. Therapeutic interventions have been developed to support people in understanding and overcoming these symptoms. However, many approaches have a strong reliance on language. This can be problematic as traumatic experiences create significant barriers to the…

COVID-19 has imposed physical, mental, and emotional isolation contributing to adverse mental health outcomes in children and adolescents. For school children struggling with trauma, the pandemic has both exacerbated existing symptoms and served as a source for trauma. Due to the increase in psychological distress, there has never been a higher…

One in four children experience an adverse childhood stressor before reaching adulthood, and the prevalence of these stressors is even higher for children of color. Researchers have coined the terms "race-based traumatic stress" and "racial trauma" to specifically refer to the experiences of trauma associated with…

Advances in the field of Early Childhood Education & Care (ECEC) are catalysing an important paradigm shift in the understanding of childhood trauma throughout the life course. While there is little dispute regarding the unique role of ECEC practitioners in providing critical support to children who experience trauma, international provisions…

Meeting the needs of students in schools has been challenging for many years. Consequently, some schools have responded with comprehensive, multi-tiered intervention systems (e.g., MTSS) aimed at addressing students' academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. However, most educators have a rudimentary understanding of these systems and the…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused extreme hardships for K-12 schools throughout the United States, exacerbating existing challenges such as rising mental health concerns among students, teacher fatigue, and workforce shortages. This article examines the enduring impacts of the pandemic on students, school professionals, and school systems, and…

This narrative literature review explores language as a precursor for developing children's psychosocial skills in war-torn areas. By utilising Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory, this study aimed to understand the lifelong consequences of early childhood language deprivation in war-stricken zones, thus suggesting intervention strategies to…

Student mental health needs continue to rise across the United States and many students and families rely on schools to provide services to meet these needs. Yet, an overwhelming number of available frameworks and approaches to school mental health (SMH) and overlapping terminology surrounding SMH supports like trauma-informed (TI) approaches,…

Shared trauma can contribute to anxiety, fear, sadness, and lack of engagement among learners leading to poor school attendance and diminished positive relationships. Therefore, it is incumbent on schools to design a supportive learning environment during experiences of shared trauma. The descriptive study presented illustrates a supportive…

A majority of students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), particularly those served in alternative educational settings, have a history of trauma exposure before placement. Evidence-based interventions such as Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) may be more effective for these students if the interventions are systematically adapted to include…

Despite the fact that schools remain incredibly safe spaces for children and youth to spend time, the occurrence of mass school shootings, although rare, is a pressing issue for our society. In this paper we discuss the importance of action, advocacy, and research related to mass school shootings. Specifically, we discuss research-based actions…

Immigration at the southern border of the United States has a complicated history. This article focuses on youth who have arrived in the United States via the southern border. It is important to note that within that population, youth will have a wide variety of experiences with immigration depending on their family, community, and personal…

Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871 has been increasingly utilized as a legal avenue by U.S. students with disabilities, particularly concerning remedies not typically awarded under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The purpose of this legal update is to briefly highlight recent case law in which guardians filed action in…

Roughly 4,000 arts therapists are employed by the Israeli education system, which enabled a rapid response in the school setting when Israel awoke on October 7, 2023 to the Hamas attacks and the national disaster that ensued. This participatory research presents the perspectives of 14 female arts therapist coordinators of therapeutic service teams…

A history of trauma can have a significant negative impact on the functioning of a student in the school environment. Check & Connect, a school engagement and dropout intervention program, has been found to have positive effects on student school engagement and decrease the likelihood of dropping out of school. However, a review of the Check…