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Date of Graduation
8-7-2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
Deborah Kipps-Vaughan
Tammy Gilligan
Tiffany Hornsby
Abstract
School systems and personnel are beginning to recognize the immense impact that trauma has on their student populations and take initiative to address these factors within the school building using trauma responsive practices. School personnel are likely to encounter the effects of trauma on a regular basis in the management of behavioral concerns, which have a dose-response relationship to traumatic experiences. School principals are leaders in the school building and have a large influence on school-wide practices, thus are in the unique position to alter policy and practice. The current study examined Virginia elementary school principals’ level of trauma training, use of trauma responsive practices, perceptions of their school’s trauma awareness and effectiveness of trauma responsive practices, and barriers to implementation of trauma responsive practices. The data collected from the study supported the need for more staff training, recognizing teachers as key stakeholders in the transition to become more trauma responsive, and more resources directed towards this endeavor in schools, including mental health professionals.
Recommended Citation
Putnam, Aleksa, "Trauma responsive elementary schools in Virginia" (2020). Educational Specialist, 2020-current. 1.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/edspec202029/1
