{"id":18651,"date":"2019-11-19T01:54:07","date_gmt":"2019-11-19T01:54:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=18651"},"modified":"2019-11-20T03:58:31","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T03:58:31","slug":"why-the-nation-should-screen-all-students-for-trauma-like-california-does","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/why-the-nation-should-screen-all-students-for-trauma-like-california-does\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the nation should screen all students for trauma like California does"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sunny Shin<\/a>, Virginia Commonwealth University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

As the first person to hold the new role of Surgeon General of California, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is pushing an unprecedented plan to implement universal screenings for childhood trauma<\/a> within the state\u2019s schools.<\/p>\n

Childhood trauma is defined<\/a> by the National Institute of Mental Health as an \u201cemotionally painful or distressful\u201d event that \u201coften results in lasting mental and physical effects.\u201d<\/p>\n

Burke Harris\u2019 plan is already more than a dream: In June, Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a budget that provides roughly $45 million<\/a> for trauma screenings and another $50 million to cover training for those who will administer the screenings. Burke Harris\u2019 vision of universal screening for trauma in children may be a massive undertaking, but it\u2019s also already under way.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The first ever Surgeon General of California, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, being sworn in.<\/span>
\nCalifornia Governor’s Office<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Well-intentioned critics might question the cost of Burke Harris\u2019 project or schools\u2019 capacity to handle it. As a social work professor<\/a> whose research<\/a> has long focused on childhood traumatic experiences and addiction, I believe such a program is needed nationwide.<\/p>\n

If all the country\u2019s children could undergo developmentally appropriate screenings for what we in the medical and social work communities call adverse childhood experiences, I suggest, based on my research, millions of tax dollars could be saved every year, premature deaths and diseases could be prevented<\/a> and schools would be healthier, happier places for students and teachers. A quiet but urgent public health crisis could finally be seriously addressed. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n

1. Untreated childhood trauma can cause permanent biological damage<\/h2>\n

Recent biological evidence<\/a> confirms what many child development experts have long suspected: When kids experience certain types of childhood trauma, the impacts are not necessarily temporary. It can fundamentally change their brain development and other aspects of physical development.<\/p>\n

One example of this: It appears that for some children who face adverse childhood experiences, the brain and body changes the way it responds to future stress<\/a>. Many of the changes affect the prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role in the regulation of emotions. A possible consequence: Some children with unresolved traumas are not sufficiently able to understand their own or their peers\u2019 emotions<\/a>. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this disconnect can lead to various behavioral problems in schools<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Early detection can largely resolve the impacts of trauma<\/h2>\n

A traumatic experience itself cannot be undone. However, adults often underestimate just how resilient<\/a> children can be in the face of even the most serious adverse childhood experiences. And when adverse experiences are detected early<\/a>, trained professionals can help sufferers resolve lingering effects of trauma through therapy before they turn into much bigger behavioral problems.<\/p>\n

Efforts, then, should focus on ensuring early detection of traumatic experiences. They should also focus on fostering habits that strengthen children\u2019s resilience. That includes getting enough sleep and exercise, opportunities for mindfulness practice, and the support of a nurturing community.<\/p>\n

3. Screenings can help educators better understand their students<\/h2>\n

When teachers better understand what might lie behind violent, stubborn or erratic behavior, it can help them be less punitive<\/a> and respond in ways that get closer to the root cause. In other words, teachers can spend more time proactively addressing the bigger potential issues rather than simply reacting to what has already happened. For example, if a teacher knows a child has been exposed to domestic violence, the teacher may have the school nurse check regularly whether the child is having any biological reactions. And school social workers and psychologists can talk to the child about whenever the student reacts negatively to something that took place in class.<\/p>\n

4. Universal screenings remove the stigma of \u201cat-risk\u201d kids<\/h2>\n

The school system is the right place for universal screening for trauma, because every child is required to go to school. That means it\u2019s not just kids coming from certain ZIP codes who are labeled as more \u201cat risk\u201d and more likely to undergo the screenings. Unfortunately, our society has a history of using these types of screenings for discriminatory purposes. For an example, look no further than this country\u2019s history with mandatory genetic screening programs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next after universal trauma screenings?<\/h2>\n

Once we\u2019re screening for trauma across the board, educators and school systems will have no choice but to develop a language and practice around trauma-sensitive and trauma-informed education. This can only be a good thing for our schools, our children, and our society.<\/p>\n

I think of trauma screenings as being similar in some ways to an X-ray: Even the most advanced machines cannot heal the bone. In order to heal the fracture, what you need is treatment that often involves resetting the bones and immobilizing it with a cast or splint. We will have to stress: What will we do with these results? How can we help our systems get to the point where they\u2019re more than ready to handle the next step?<\/p>\n

Implementing universal trauma screenings in the nation\u2019s schools is an understandably daunting proposition. It would be highly costly and require intense logistical planning. School systems will also need to anticipate what they\u2019ll do with the results if universal trauma screenings become a reality. The benefits of such screenings, however, far outweigh the logistical and financial costs. In my view, not implementing schoolwide screenings for childhood trauma should be more worrisome than the challenges associated with the implementation. Too many modern societal problems, such as chronic disease and addictive behaviors, originate from ignorance around childhood trauma. But with a trauma screening plan like the one in California, schools could better work toward massively beneficial solutions.<\/p>\n

[ You\u2019re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation\u2019s authors and editors.<\/em> You can get our highlights each weekend.<\/a> ]\"The<\/p>\n

Sunny Shin<\/a>, Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sunny Shin, Virginia Commonwealth University As the first person to hold the new role of Surgeon General of California, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is pushing an unprecedented plan to implement universal screenings for childhood trauma within the state\u2019s schools. Childhood trauma is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health as an \u201cemotionally painful or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":18650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[292],"tags":[6412,7266,7265,1035,7264,1873,137,1737,3297,4849],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18651"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18651"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18655,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18651\/revisions\/18655"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}