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Tammy Kennington |
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Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Classroom Teacher
by Tammy Kennington
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www.tammykennington.com
As a survivor and a long-time educator, I’m burdened for the children who come into my classroom living with the pain of sexual abuse, neglect, and/or domestic violence. Sometimes, they’re easy to recognize.
Did you notice the heavyset little girl with unwashed hair? She avoids eye contact, rarely smiles, and is noticeably withdrawn. In October, she mentioned that her father “spanks really hard” and she was kept home for a urinary tract infection. A third-grade child shouldn’t have a UTI.
Or, you may have caught a glimpse of the first-grade boy who defecates and leaves small, rolled bits of feces around the classroom. His mother “fell down the stairs” last month and was in the hospital for a few days. |
These are the children we serve in the education system. They are in our preschools, elementary schools, and high schools. They attend private schools, parochial schools, and public schools. We greet them every day with a smile rarely knowing which of them may be afraid to return home, but as educators we can be someone who makes a difference. We can become trauma informed and educate ourselves on the signs and characteristics of child abuse.
In the 1990’s, a longitudinal study was launched by doctors Anda and Felitti in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente with the goal of determining the relationship between adverse health outcomes and early childhood trauma.
The results were startling. For every one adverse (traumatic) childhood event, there is an 87% chance that at least one other ACE exists. Children who experience trauma regularly live with toxic stress. Their brains and bodies are flooded with chemicals like cortisol, which help to protect them during high-stress situations, but interrupt brain development and cause them to remain on “high alert”. Boys and girls are arriving at school ready for survival; they are prepared to fight, run, or freeze. They are not, however, prepared to learn.
Based on this information, it’s no surprise that 51% of children with four or more adverse childhood experiences have either behavioral or learning difficulties compared with 3% of children without an ACE score.
But, the question remains: Are there behaviors or signs that indicate a child is being abused? While there is some overlap with particular symptoms, the early childhood teacher, daycare provider, or babysitter may notice some of the following:
- Signs of trauma to the genital area
- Failure to thrive
- Chronic absenteeism
- Poor hygiene
- Fear, anxiety, clinginess (may be around particular adult or adults)
- Excessive crying
- Unexplained developmental delays
- Poor concentration
- Regression in behavior
- Withdrawal or over-compliance
- Chronic somatic symptoms (i.e. stomach ache, head ache, etc.)
- Frequent bed wetting if the child has already been potty-trained
While one or two of these characteristics may suggest a toddler is teething, multiple symptoms are cause for concern. If there is any sign of physical abuse either sexually or otherwise, contact the authorities immediately. Otherwise, begin documenting particular behaviors and concerns and record the dates. When you have a few items and dates recorded, reach out to the protective child services in your area. While it may take time before action is taken by the state, you are making a difference.
A child’s life is worth the phone call.
Students without an ACE score are better suited to the classroom. Their brains are neither on fire, or hyperaroused, nor switched off, or hypoaroused. Unfortunately, 51% of children who have had four or more adverse childhood experiences will also demonstrate learning or behavioral challenges in the school environment as compared to only three percent of students without an ACE score. For instance, children with higher ACE scores are more than twice as likely than other students to: be held back in school, struggle with expressive or receptive language, utilize special education services, or be suspended or expelled from school.
Children growing up in unstable, traumatic homes aren’t afforded the safe boundaries provided to other children. They learn instead that adults are unreliable, and the world is unsafe. Unable to express these internalized thoughts, children may demonstrate them in socially unacceptable ways that help them maintain some sort of control. In addition, children who are experiencing abuse outside the home will often exhibit many of the same tell-tale signs of abuse.
Common signs students may present with are listed below according to age group.
Elementary Students
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Fear of going home or being around specific people
- Talking about or drawing pictures of adult themed sexual acts
- Changes in behavior (i.e. withdrawn, clingy, moody, aggression)
- Changes in academic performance
- Disinterested in activities
- Absenteeism
- Psychosomatic complaints (i.e. headaches, stomachaches)
- Difficulty concentrating
- Hyperarousal or hypoarousal (i.e. to school bells, people touching a shoulder)
- Emotional blunting
- Inability to stop thinking about event
Middle School/High School Students
- Same as above
- Substance abuse
- Promiscuity
- Risk-taking behaviors
- Inability to stop thinking about event
Children who exhibit these traits are at high-risk for having been abused. Not only that, but teachers are mandatory reporters. Educators who suspect abuse are legally bound to report it in order to protect the children they serve. Typically, the authorities at the local child abuse services center will record the name of the person reporting the information and provide that individual with a reference number. However, the reporting individual’s name is never shared with the child or his or her family.
The child may never have another adverse childhood experience because you, dear teacher, chose to do the hard thing.
Despite the sobering statistics about Adverse Childhood Experiences, administrators and educators are speaking up and stepping into new ways of thinking. Entire school systems such as those in Walla Walla, Washington have created trauma-informed approaches to learning that provide safe spaces for all students with a particular focus on incorporating practices that foster relationship and reframe behaviors through the lens of the question, “What happened to you?” rather than “What’s wrong with you?”
While your school and mine may not yet be trauma-informed, we can each grow in our knowledge. There are even several simple approaches teachers can easily implement in the classroom.
What Happened to You-Regardless of the age group with whom an educator works, when a student acts out inappropriately or mentally ‘checks out’, consider the unknowns of that child’s situation. A child living with trauma experiences all of life differently. For example, a high school student who is accidently jostled in the crowded hallway during passing periods may respond violently because the evening before he was fending off blows from an abusive parent.
Create a Safe Space-In preschool and elementary classrooms, teachers can create a “calm corner”. Even in my small reading remediation classroom, I’ve crafted a welcoming space that invites overwhelmed, stressed students to snuggle into a small bench with a pillow. Small posters that help students self-regulate along with calming sensory tools can also prove helpful.
Responding to Allegations-When a child reveals abuse, it can be difficult to remain calm, but the child may misinterpret a shocked expression as disgust or blame. With permission sit near the student and affirm him or her, reassuring the student that a child is never at fault for an adult’s abusive behavior. Ask if there is anything he or she would like for you to know. Seek care with a school counselor or other professional for your student, record pertinent information, and contact the authorities. Do not contact the person or persons who the child has revealed as the abuser(s) because this may put the child at risk.
Be the One Person- The better the support network in an abused child’s life, the more likely he or she will overcome the unfair adversity he or she has had to survive. But, resilience research indicates that one person can make a difference in a traumatized child’s future. You, educator, can be the hope a child needs to succeed in life.
Consider Learning More-Many resources, programs, and certifications are available for educators and other advocates interested in becoming trauma informed. Some of these include the following:
Administrators, educators, and other school professionals all have an important role in not only educating children, but in scribing the words, “You matter” on the page of a child’s life.
Thank you to the teachers who have and will be the ‘one person’ who makes the difference to the abused children in their classrooms. Thank you to the teachers who made the difference for me.
Tammy Kennington
www.tammykennington.com
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Tammy Kennington is a writer, speaker, life coach and a voice for adult survivors of childhood abuse. Familiar with the impact of trauma, she is also an advocate who leads workshops for schools, churches, and other organizations.
You can meet regularly with Tammy at her blog tammykennington.wordpress.com or connect online at:
Burke, N.J., Hellman, J.L., Scott, B.G., Weems, C.F & Carrion, V.C. (June 2011). “The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on an Urban Pediatric Population,” Child Abuse and Neglect, 35, No. 6.
http://childabuse.stanford.edu/
Burke, N.J., Hellman, J.L., Scott, B.G., Weems, C.F & Carrion, V.C. (June 2011). “The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on an Urban Pediatric Population,” Child Abuse and Neglect, 35, No. 6.
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