While trauma is not something that discriminates, it is something that some populations are prone to more than others. Unfortunately, children with disabilities are at increased odds to experience trauma in their lives. In fact, there is an 80% chance for a student in special education to experience trauma (Maddox et al., 2022). Although it takes time and support, there are often known resources to help our children. However, what can we say for our special education teachers who are working with those children who have experienced trauma each and every day? These teachers face the risk of experiencing vicarious traumatization which can occur when people work with individuals who have experienced trauma and thereby can experience negative psychological, physical, and emotional effects, similar to those with the direct trauma (McCann & Pearlman, 1990). Teachers typically enter the field because they care, because they want to make a change, but what might be the cost of caring? The video below gives a great overview of what vicarious trauma is and how it may impact an individual.

Let’s really take a look at the odds. Teachers, depending on their role, can spend around 7 hours a day with their students during the school year. Oftentimes, in elementary school, teachers are with the same students the majority of the day, whereas there may be a bit more variation moving through the upper grade levels. Research has shown the adverse effects of vicarious trauma on varying professions such as mental health therapists, first responders, and so on. When we think about the amount of time teachers spend with their students, exposure can be frequent. 

Shoieb (2020) explained that teachers are often the first people to whom students report their trauma. In some cases, may or may not be required to report the trauma in cases of abuse and neglect. In other scenarios, the trauma may be chronic, such as with homelessness, impacts of a natural disaster, ill caregiver, and more. There also may be times where the trauma a student is reporting or experiencing brings up the past trauma of that particular teacher. How can we protect our teachers? Specifically, how can we help our special education teachers in regard to vicarious trauma? 

In other careers through which vicarious trauma has been studied, various strategies have been recommended as a way to support those professionals. Some examples include promoting self-care strategies from the get go and providing information and training on what vicarious trauma is (Cunningham, 2004). Both make perfect sense. Encouraging educators, in this case special education teachers, to identify things that help them to reduce stress and cope can help if being triggered when in the classroom. Also, knowledge is power! The more awareness one has about a situation, typically leads to more ease when personally managing that same situation. There is no one answer but we have to start somewhere. It is important to support our educators, invest in relevant professional development training, and do what we can to help our special education teachers!

References:

Cunningham, M. (2004). Teaching social workers about trauma: Reducing the risks of vicarious traumatization in the classroom. Journal of Social Work Education, 40(2), 305-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/10437797.2004.10778495

 Maddox, R. P., Rujimora, J., Nichols, L. M., Williams, M. K., Hunt, T., & Carter, R. A. (2022). Trauma-Informed Schools: Implications for Special Education and School Counseling. TEACHING Exceptional Children. https://doi.org/10.1177/00400599221107142

McCann, I. L., & Pearlman, L. A. (1990). Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3(1), 131-149. doi:10.1007/BF00975140

Shoieb, A. R. (2020). Examining the Emotional Impact of Secondary Traumatic Stress on the Teacher (Order No. 28315068). Available from Education Database. (2531552861). http://lynn-lang.student.lynn.edu:2048/login

TEDxTalks. (2016, April 15). Drowning in empathy: The cost of vicarious trauma | Amy Cunningham | TEDxSanAntonio. YouTube. Retrieved September 26, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsaorjIo1Yc&t=413s&ab_channel=TEDxTalks