Core Concepts
What is the main goal of trauma-informed care (TIC) in schools?
To understand how trauma affects student behavior and respond with empathy rather than punishment.
What scale was used to measure teachers’ attitudes in the study?
The ARTIC scale.
Trauma affects which three key areas of student functioning?
Attention, memory, and emotional regulation.
What does TIC emphasize about behavior?
Behavior is communication that often reflects stress or trauma.
True or false: Teacher attitudes can shift after even brief training.
True.
What happens to the stress-response system in children with chronic trauma?
It becomes overactivated, making learning harder.
What type of approach does TIC require: individual, classroom, or systemic?
Systemic — involving teachers, administrators, and school policies.
Why is mindset more important than “strategies” alone?
Because understanding trauma shapes how teachers interpret and respond to student behavior.
Name one behavioral sign that may reflect trauma.
Shutting down, irritability, withdrawal, difficulty focusing, etc.
Which major professional organization inspired the article’s framework for prevention and equity?
The American Psychological Association (APA).
What common teacher assumption does TIC challenge?
That misbehavior is intentional defiance rather than a stress response.
How does trauma impact students biologically?
It affects brain regions involved in learning and emotional processing.
Name two scientific foundations TIC draws on.
Neuroscience, attachment theory, emotional intelligence, or cultural responsiveness (any two).
Which group saw the highest trauma-informed attitudes?
Teachers who had both training and ongoing consultation.
Why might trauma-related behavior be easily misinterpreted in classrooms?
Because it can look like defiance or laziness unless teachers understand trauma.