Dorothy Espelage’s research on bullying highlights how educational psychology methods can reveal the social-emotional conditions that influence learning. Similarly, trauma has become a vital area of socio-behavioral learning. Traumatic experiences—whether from natural disasters, abuse, or violence—disrupt emotional regulation, social relationships, and cognitive processes, impairing a student's capacity to learn.

Research from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) reveals that trauma affects brain development, hindering language, motor skills, and social interaction. Trauma-exposed students show increased behavioral issues, absenteeism, and lower academic performance. However, evidence suggests that trauma-informed educational approaches, such as the use of social-emotional learning (SEL) programs, can enhance students’ emotional well-being and academic success.

For example, studies have shown that schools implementing trauma-informed strategies like mindfulness, restorative justice, and SEL improve classroom behavior, reduce suspensions, and increase student engagement.

Key concepts to interpret this evidence include emotional regulation, resilience, and trauma-informed care. Emotional regulation involves managing emotions effectively; resilience is the capacity to recover from adversity; and trauma-informed care shifts educators’ focus from punitive measures to understanding the root causes of behavioral issues.

In The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk explains the long-term effects of trauma on brain functioning and learning (pages 179-189). Additionally, Helping Traumatized Children Learn by Susan F. Cole offers practical guidance on trauma-sensitive schools, backed by case studies and evidence-based practices.

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris’s TED Talk, “How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime,” provides an engaging overview of how trauma impacts learning, behavior, and overall well-being (available on YouTube).

Sources:

• Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (2014), pp. 179-189.
• Susan F. Cole, Helping Traumatized Children Learn (2005), Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative, Harvard Law School.
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), www.nctsn.org
• Nadine Burke Harris, TED Talk: "How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime," YouTube, 2014 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ovIJ3dsNk)