NCJ Number
219039
Journal
School Violence Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: 2007 Pages: 121-137
Date Published
2007
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article reviews research on environmentally based posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its relationship to inner-city violence, minority youth, school violence, and institutionalized oppression, followed by a discussion of school counselors' roles and the presentation of an interdisciplinary collaborative model for helping students with PTSD.
Abstract
Research has shown that students develop PTSD after witnessing or experiencing violence or trauma. Children who live in urban areas often experience an accumulation effect of trauma, leading to learning disabilities, lower academic scores, and behavioral problems, including violent behavior. Minority children are exposed to more violent crime than any other group, which increases their chances of developing PTSD and exhibit violent behaviors in the schools they attend. Children may continue to exhibit these responses even after being removed from the traumatic environment. School counselors should intervene and provide support for students who show PTSD symptoms. Interdisciplinary teams should be formed for the purpose of using school and community resources to support students and parents who live in traumatic environments. School counselors should work with teachers in creating safe and secure classrooms that provide comfort for students who have experienced trauma. The school counselor should be a team leader who ensures that each student diagnosed with PTSD receive consistent treatment at the community level in collaboration with school interventions. 34 references