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Symptoms
- Emotional distress
- Poor/dropping grades
- Communication unresponsiveness
- Growth arrest (body does not grow according to age)
- Slow brain development
- Anxiety attacks
- Temper outbursts

Strategies
- Sit down with them and talk in a private and safe space
-Talk less, listen more
- Suggest the end of the things they are omitting or can not bring themselves to say
- Report to relevant authorities
- Help them grow trust for other people
- Help them create a schedule for each thing they can expect in a day and the people they can expect to see - this helps victims gain back control as suggested by Dr. J. Austerman

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How to begin the healing process after child sexual abuse

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Physical and Verbal Domestic Violence (Simo Makhathini)

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Physical and Verbal Domestic Violence (Simo Makhathini)

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Symptoms
- Physical injuries
- Emotional distressed
- Poor attendance
- Stories that do not add up
- Resistance to go back home
- Low self esteem
- Clumsiness
- Jumpy at the mention of certain things/words
- Difficult in trusting adults or anyone else

Strategies
- Learn their behavior and predict it
- Talk to them with a genuine smile - teach them to trust you
- Learn to make positive deals with them - challenges and rewards
- Report to relevant authorities
- Ensure they know they are in a safe space where you are around - whatever they tell you, nobody will hurt them for it

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Domestic violence: a child's perspective | Abi Cole | TEDxDurhamUniversity

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Physical and Verbal Domestic Violence (Simo Makhathini)

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Physical and Verbal Domestic Violence (Simo Makhathini)

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Symptoms
- Physical injuries
- Emotional distressed
- Poor attendance
- Stories that do not add up
- Resistance to go back home
- Low self esteem
- Clumsiness
- Jumpy at the mention of certain things/words
- Difficult in trusting adults or anyone else

Strategies
- Learn their behavior and predict it
- Talk to them with a genuine smile - teach them to trust you
- Learn to make positive deals with them - challenges and rewards
- Report to relevant authorities
- Ensure they know they are in a safe space where you are around - whatever they tell you, nobody will hurt them for it

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Domestic violence: a child's perspective | Abi Cole | TEDxDurhamUniversity

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Symptoms
- Aggression
- Impulsive responses
- Poor hygiene
- Social misconduct (e.g. stealing)
- Homework normally not completed
- Constant low grades
- Poor attendance
- Often sick without proper medical attention
- Emotional and socially withdrawn

Strategies
- Smile and often try to have small talks with them
- Create a personal relationship
- Find as much as you can about the student's household status
- Report to relevant authorities
- Offer extra lesson if possible to help them with homework
- Donate what you can and find absolutely necessary

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Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma

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Parental substance abuse/r (Simo Makhathini)

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Parental substance abuse/r (Simo Makhathini)

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Symptoms
- Poor attendance record
- Poor hygiene
- Clothes smell of the substance
- Injuries
- Low grades
- Normally does not complete homework
- Social misbehavior (likely be a bully)
- Forgetful
- Emotional or always emotional drawn out
- Temper outbursts

Strategies
- Offer positive attention
- Develop personal relationship
- Encourage eye contact in every conversation
- Shower them with positive affirmations
- Do not show emotional personality
- Report to relevant seniors or authorities

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DR. NADINE BURKE HARRIS: HEALING THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY

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Adopted Child Syndrome Interventions (Khloe Sung)

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Adopted Child Syndrome Interventions (Khloe Sung)

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Ways to help Adopted Child(ways to decrease the intensity of ACS)

1. Love and care: Find more time to care and love him. Each and every gesture of yours should provide him a feeling that you love him and care him and he is an integral part of your life. Giving him a hug, holding his hand while speaking sweetly to him, ruffling his hair with love, etc. help to increase his confidence and trust.

2. Never forcefully attempt to mold the character of the child

3. Urge the child to socialize: Encourage the child to socialize. Give the child every opportunity and create events (like planning a party, taking him to the park, etc.) to socialize with the neighbors and friends.

4. Take the child to a psychotherapist who will look at his symptoms and treat him accordingly. Psychotherapy will help to remove the negative feelings, guilt, anxiety, rejection etc. from your adopted child’s mind.

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Adopted child syndrome is a controversial term that has been used to explain behaviors in adopted children that are claimed to be related to their adoptive status.

Potential for Lasting Mental or Emotional Trauma:

Possible psychological effects of adoption on the child may include:

Struggles with low self-esteem

Identity issues, or feeling unsure of where they ‘fit in’

Difficulty forming emotional attachments

A sense of grief or loss related to their birth family

Problems in bonding, attachment disorders

Lying

Stealing

Defiance of authority, and acts of violence.

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Symptoms:
-unaware of cultural norms in the United States
- food insecurity trauma
-fearful to noise
- trauma due to the experience in school

Responses:
- psychological support
- build trust with family
- address the basic and most urgent needs
- mental health as a service provider

Statistics
- " Of the 7.1 million refugee children of school age, 3.7 million - more than half - do not go to school, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, says in a report released today."
https://www.unrefugees.org/news/refugee-education-in-crisis-more-than-half-of-the-world-s-school-age-refugee-children-do-not-get-an-education/

Solution:
Create interventions to support students through their particular experience

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Of the 7.1 million refugee children of school age, 3.7 million - more than half - do not go to school, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, says in a report released today.

The report, Stepping Up: Refugee Education in Crisis, shows that as refugee children grow older, the barriers preventing them from accessing education become harder to overcome: only 63 percent of refugee children go to primary school, compared to 91 percent globally. Around the world, 84 percent of adolescents get a secondary education, while only 24 percent of refugees get the opportunity.

"School is where refugees are given a second chance," said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. "We are failing refugees by not giving them the opportunity to build the skills and knowledge they need to invest in their futures."

The steep decline in refugee enrollment between primary and secondary school is the direct result of lack of funding for refugee education. As a result, UNHCR is calling on governments, the private sector, educational organizations and donors to give their financial backing to a new initiative aimed at kick-starting secondary education for refugees.

"We need to invest in refugee education or pay the price of a generation of children condemned to grow up unable to live independently, find work and be full contributors to their communities," said Grandi.

The secondary school initiative will target the construction and refurbishment of schools, teacher training, and giving financial support to refugee families so that they can cover the expenses of sending their children to school.

This year's report also calls for refugees to be included in national education systems instead of being corralled into unofficial parallel schools, and to be allowed to follow a formal, recognized curriculum all the way through pre-primary, primary and secondary school. This will give them the recognized qualifications that can be their springboard to university or higher vocational training.

At present, even if refugee adolescents overcome the odds and make it through secondary school, only 3 percent will be lucky enough to get a place in some form of higher education. This pales in comparison to the global figure of 37 percent.

UNHCR is also calling for a more realistic approach on the part of schools, universities and education ministries towards documentation. Many refugees are barred from the classroom because they left behind exam and course certificates, as well as ID documents, when they fled their homes. Even when these documents are available, some host countries refuse to recognize certification issued in refugees' country of origin.

The issue of education for the world's refugee children is urgent. By the end of 2018, there were more than 25.9 million refugees around the world, 20.4 million under UNHCR's mandate. About half were under the age of 18, and millions were living in protracted situations, with little hope of returning home in the near future.

Rallying support for the secondary education initiative will be a key part of the forthcoming Global Refugee Forum, which takes place in December 2019 and is a critical opportunity to strengthen the world's collective response to refugee situations.

Originally reported by UNHCR.

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Refugee education in crisis: More than half of the world's school-age refugee children do not get an education.

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Of the 7.1 million refugee children of school age, 3.7 million - more than half - do not go to school, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, says in a report released today.

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Symptoms of acute trauma may include:
- sudden shifts in their mood
- a decline in academic performance
- abnormal play behavior (re-enacting the events through play)
- intrusive thoughts (distressing memories of the traumatic event and/or flashbacks)
- reports of aches/pain in their bodies after a traumatic event
- regressions in their development, such as clinginess and tantrums at home and school
- a lack of interest in activities
- severe physical responses to emotional triggers
- easily irritated
- depression
- hopelessness about the future
- difficulty with social and emotional functioning
- memory troubles

Strategies:

- creating a Trauma Informed System (connected to social and emotional learning, school safety, school discipline, and/or Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports)

- frequently check in with your students
- meetings with a mental health counselor
- be patient when students are acting out
- create a safe place for students to discuss the event
- extra support for students whose academic performance has taken a dip
- reassure students of the strategies in place in the case of an active shooter, as well as the changes that were made to the strategy after the last event
- teach breathing/mindfulness/meditation techniques
- be observant of students who have shown to have a significant change in behaviour and refer them to a school counselor
- for students who are young or who have a hard time expressing themselves, ask them to draw their feelings/thoughts

Resources:

- https://healthysafechildren.org/trauma-violence-and-school-shooting
- https://www.psycom.net/mental-health-wellbeing/school-shooting-survivor-mental-health
- https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/15/7727/pdf

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Symptoms:
-anger
-issues with trust with adults
- hyperarousal, It occurs when a person's body suddenly kicks into high alert as a result of thinking about their trauma.
-withdrawal or depression

Responses
-safe environment to talk
-follow school policies
-refer to specialist

Statistics: Between 10-20% of students experience or witness Domestic Violence.

Solutions: Referring to professional to help stop the cycle of violence.

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Part of our NPR Ed series on mental health in schools.

Every Monday morning at Harvie Elementary School, in Henrico County, Va., Brett Welch stands outside her office door as kids file in.

"The first thing I'm looking for are the faces," says Welch, a school counselor. She's searching for hints of fear, pain or anger.

"Maybe there was a domestic incident at the house that weekend," says Welch. "That's reality for a lot of our kids."

And a reality for a lot of kids in the U.S. While it's difficult to get an exact number, researchers estimate that between 10 and 20 percent of children are exposed to domestic violence each year.

New data quantifies what many teachers and school counselors already know: While such violence often takes place outside of school, its repercussions resonate in the classroom.

It hurts not only the kids who witness the violence, but also their classmates. The harm is evident in lower test scores as well as lower rates of college attendance and completion. And the impact extends past graduation - it can be seen in lower earnings later in life.

"It's a sad story," says Scott Carrell, economist at the University of California, Davis, who has studied this for over a decade.
Violence at home, disruption at school
But, he says, there's one thing he and his colleagues - economists Mark Hoekstra and Elira Kuka - found that can improve the situation "not only for that family but for all the child's classmates." What was it? Reporting domestic violence when it happens.

Brett Welch says she's noticed that kids who act out at school often come from tough home situations.

"Instead of asking for help, they'll start being disruptive," Welch explains.

"They'll ask to go to the bathroom for the 15th time. And when they can't, they'll raise their voices. It can get to the level of throwing a chair - but that's very rare."

Kids who witness domestic violence are more likely to get in trouble at school and have behavioral problems, including being aggressive and bullying their classmates.

Welch says she understands why: School is "where they can feel powerful because they are completely powerless at home."

She often works with those kids one-on-one or in small groups. She wants them to have at least one relationship where "they feel listened to and they feel respected and they know someone cares. That can change everything for them."

Around the country there aren't enough counselors like Welch to go around. Not all states require elementary schools to have counselors. And even where they are required, there can be large caseloads. Sometimes one counselor covers multiple schools and oversees more than 1,000 students.

Welch is stretched so thin she's only at Harvie Elementary two days a week. But a kid may need Welch's support at any time - and mornings in particular are key.
Influence on classmates
The first 10 minutes after a student arrives at school in the morning is a critical window, Welch says. If she's able to catch them and make them feel heard, "it can completely change their day" - and it can change their classmates' days, too.

If one kid is having a hard day, Brett Welch says, it influences the rest of the children in the classroom.

"It takes the teacher's attention, it interrupts learning and it interrupts the flow of the day." She says she can see the impact on classmates' academic work.

Scott Carrell's data confirms what Welch has observed.

He links lots of academic metrics - like test scores, discipline infractions and college graduation rates - with court records on whether a parent has filed a restraining order.

Now, domestic violence and restraining orders happen in all the schools Carrell examined. But they were 10 times more likely to happen in the school serving the poorest population compared with the school serving the wealthiest population. So to make sure he wasn't just seeing the effect of poverty, Carrell came up with a clever solution.

He looked at siblings who come from the same family and go to the same school, but one sibling has a classmate who's struggling with domestic violence and the other sibling doesn't.

Examining lots of sibling pairs and crunching almost two decades worth of data, Carrell found that your classmates, and whether or not they come from a home with domestic violence, influence how well you do in school and beyond.

Measuring harm in dollar figures, Carrell looked at wages when the students grew up. He found that: "exposure to an additional disruptive peer throughout elementary school leads to a 3 to 4 percent reduction in earnings at age 24 to 28."

Carrell says that number adds up quickly - because, in a class of 25 kids, that's a 3 or 4 percent drop in wages for each person. Plus, if your classroom has multiple children from troubled homes, the tests scores get lower and lower and the wages drop gets bigger and bigger with each additional disruptive child.

Carrell argues this has implications for how to make schools and classrooms fair. He says, ideally, we would avoid concentrating disruptive kids in the same classroom or the same school.
What can be done to improve things?
And Carrell says his biggest takeaway is that "society has a vested interest in helping those families that are struggling with domestic violence. The more we can help other households, the better off our children will be."

Carrell and his colleagues found one thing that, they say, really helps: parents reporting the domestic violence.

After reporting it, "things get better."

Carrell says there are three things that might account for this: First, the violence in the homes may have stopped. Second, another adult has decided to make some positive changes in the child's life. Third, people like Brett Welch get involved.

Reporting domestic violence forces the school to pay attention, and often that means the school counselors get involved.

Welch talks to students about finding safe places in their homes. She works on anger management. She helps kids improve their emotional vocabulary.

Vickie Fahed, a kindergarten teacher at Harvie Elementary, says she can see Welch's impact on a child. When Fahed has angry or disruptive children, she sends them down the hallway to see Welch.

"The child comes back so relaxed and so at peace," Fahed says.

When that child is at ease, the whole class can focus. That translates into higher test scores and better graduation rates for the child and their classmates.

All this is great - at least on Mondays and Thursdays, when Welch is here.

"You can tell when she's not here in this building," says Fayed. "It's a big difference. We're like: 'OK, she's not here today? OK, wait till tomorrow.' "

On the days Brett Welch is in the building, she stands by the door as students leave.

"You tell them that you love them because you do," Welch says. "And because maybe that's what they need to be able to get through whatever they need to get through at home."

And, both Brett Welch and Scott Carrell say, if the child's home life gets better, things will get better at school - for that child, and for their classmates.

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How Domestic Violence In One Home Affects Every Child In A Class

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Part of our NPR Ed series on mental health in schools. Every Monday morning at Harvie Elementary School, in Henrico County, Va., Brett Welch stands outside her office door as kids file in. "The first thing I'm looking for are the faces," says Welch, a school counselor.

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https://youtu.be/aJJ7YpW--dQ
Neglect is the failure to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs. These needs include housing, food, clothing, education, and access to medical care.

Symptoms:

No parents come to pick up for weekends (for boarding school students)

Always looking dirty

Don’t have basic norms and common senses of life

Weak social emotional skills and social awareness

Eating more than usual at a meal or saving food for later

Having hard time with school project if it needs family support

Poor growth

Not easy to get ahold of their parents

Causes:
Parents financial problems,
Parents working in different city,
Students raised up by grandparents,
Parents too busy

Strategies:

Teaching students SEL skills

Help students build up their social/ self awareness and social emotional skills set

Provide them a warm/welcoming class.

Strengthen economic supports to families( from society)

1. Strengthening household financial security

2.  Family-friendly work policies

Change social norms to support parents and positive parenting by hosting public engagement and enhancement campaigns

1. Early childhood home visitation

2. Enhanced primary care

Enhance parenting skills to promote healthy child development

1. Parenting skill and family relationship approaches

2. Intervene to lessen harms and prevent future risk

3. Behavioral parent training programs

4. Treatment to lessen harms of abuse and neglect exposure

5. Treatment to prevent problem behavior and later involvement in violence

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What Is Emotional Neglect? And How to Cope

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https://youtu.be/y7bKFMO0d-w

Symptoms:

Constant worry about doing something wrong

Depression

low self-esteem

Extreme behavior, such as being way too obedient or way too demanding

Headaches and stomachaches with no clear cause

Acting abusive to others or animals

No friends

Causes:

1. Manipulative parents

2. Parents who can’t make responsible decisions

Strategies:

These strategies should be divided into two parts: for students / teachers, and for their parents

For students / teachers:

The best thing they can do is to seek support from another family member they trust.  Express their concerns, and maybe this can open up an opportunity for their parent to hear them out from different perspective;

Teachers should reach out to them, listening to them, for student who has low self-esteem, showing support by encouragement and constructive advices;

For students struggling to make friends, teach them social emotional skills, help them get involved in the community;

The next thing they can do is to seek help from a mental health professional for more specific solutions;

For emotionally abusive parents:

Remember that what you do today can leave a life-long impact on your child’s life.

Do you have erratic behaviors, and you end up lashing out to your child?

If you do, maybe you need to sort some personal issues in your life.

Do you want to salvage your relationship? Seek support from a mental health professional.

Stop conveying negative expressions towards their children.

Stop being manipulative, family education is not all about “ demanding and controlling”

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10 Signs of Emotional Abuse from Parents

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Provide the child with ongoing opportunities to talk about what they went through or what they’re seeing in the media. Encourage them to ask questions and express their concerns but don’t force them to talk.

Communicate with them in an age-appropriate way. Younger children, for example, will respond to reassuring hugs and simple phrases such as “It’s over now” or “It’s all going to be okay.” Older children, though, will draw more comfort from hearing facts and information about what happened.

Acknowledge and validate the child’s concerns. The traumatic event may bring up unrelated fears and issues in your child. Comfort for your child comes from feeling understood and accepted by you, so acknowledge their fears even if they don’t seem relevant to you.

Reassure the child. The event was not their fault, you love them, and it’s okay for them to feel upset, angry, or scared.

Don’t pressure them into talking. It can be very difficult for some kids to talk about a traumatic experience. A young child may find it easier to draw a picture illustrating their feelings rather than talk about them. You can then talk with the child about what they’ve drawn.

Be honest. While you should tailor the information you share according to your child’s age and personality, honesty is important. Don’t say nothing’s wrong if something is wrong.

Do “normal” activities with the child that have nothing to do with the traumatic event. Encourage them to seek out friends and pursue games, sports, and hobbies that they enjoyed before the incident.

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The child continues to mentally re-live the traumatic experience, over and over again.

He may have “flashbacks” of the event, feeling like he is actually going through the experience again. He may even hallucinate scenes, sounds or smells from the experience.

He may have severe nightmares (either about the traumatic event or about other frightening things).

He may feel the need to “hash out” the event verbally or in play.

He cannot stop thinking about the traumatic experience, no matter what he does.

He may have out-of-control, disruptive behavior.

LINKS

Helping Children Cope with Traumatic Events - HelpGuide.org
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms & Causes | Boston Children's Hospital (childrenshospital.org)

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Helping Children Cope with Traumatic Events - HelpGuide.org

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Traumatic events such as coronavirus, natural disasters, accidents, or violence can be overwhelmingly stressful for children. These tips can help your child recover.

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Make the child feel safe again. Hugging and reassuring can help make a child of any age feel secure. While teens may try to tough it out and avoid being held, your physical affection is still important in making them feel safe again.

Encourage them to pursue activities they enjoy. Try to make sure your child has space and time for rest, play, and fun.

Maintain routines. Establishing a predictable structure and schedule to your students' life can help to make the world seem more stable again. Try to maintain regular times for meals, homework, and  activities.

Speak of the future and make plans. This can help counteract the common feeling among traumatized children that the future is scary, bleak, and unpredictable.

Keep your promises. You can help to rebuild your child’s trust by being trustworthy. Be consistent and follow through on what you say you’re going to do.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t be afraid to admit it. Don’t jeopardize your child’s trust in you by making something up.

Remember that children often personalize situations. They may worry about their own safety even if the traumatic event occurred far away. Reassure your student and help place the situation in context.

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The child feels as though he must constantly be “on guard,” in case the trauma happens again or another dangerous situation emerges.

He might be easily startled or frightened.

He may have trouble falling or staying asleep.

He may experience difficulty concentrating on schoolwork and other routine tasks.

He might have outbursts of unprovoked or excessive anger.

LINKS
10 Causes Of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder In Children - Friendship Circle - Special Needs Blog : Friendship Circle — Special Needs Blog
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Symptoms & Causes | Boston Children's Hospital (childrenshospital.org)

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Military family-related stressors (e.g., deployment, parental loss or injury). (Dave McRitchie)

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Military family-related stressors (e.g., deployment, parental loss or injury). (Dave McRitchie)

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A child may have traumatic reactions to military related activity on the part of a parent or a sibling. This could be deployments and long periods of time away, injury or death.
Symptoms
Their traumatic reactions can include a variety of responses. These responses could be intense and ongoing emotional upset, depressive symptoms or anxiety, behavioral changes, difficulties with self-regulation, problems relating to others or forming attachments, regression or loss of previously acquired skills, attention and academic difficulties, nightmares, difficulty sleeping and eating, and physical symptoms, such as aches and pains. Older children may take drugs or use alcohol, behave in risky ways, or engage in unhealthy sexual activity.
Basically, the student could be more withdrawn and not his or her usual self or engaging in more pronounced and visible behaviors.
Stragegies
Be understanding.
Know your students and afford them time to adjust and grieve if needed.
Be consistent and predictable to help avoid unnecessary anxiety or stress.
Communicate with student and staff if behavior continues to regress.
Ask how you can assist.
Stay involved with student and try keep them positively engaged.

Reference
https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/about-child-trauma

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Statistics
Children from all races and backgrounds experience violent behavior and exposure to violence.  Studies show that between half and two thirds of all school age children experience trauma.  These rates are increased in densely populated urban areas.

Symptoms.
The exposure to violence can change the way child acts and reacts in the classroom. The student may interact differently with others. They may be distracted, distrustful and not react in a normal fashion.  Additionally, they may be distrustful of authority figures.  Reactions to rules and norms may be to challenge them.

Solutions
Be informed about and sensitive to trauma
Provide a safe and stable environment for both students and staff.
Acknowledge trauma and triggers.
Avoid stigmatizing and punishing students.
Strive to understand the trauma the student is going through and provide a balanced and stable, predictable classroom to aid in adjustment.
Washing State has a great framework for trauma and how to best address it.
1. Always Empower, Never Disempower.
2. Provide Unconditional Positive Regard.
3. Maintain High Expectations.
4. Check Assumptions, Observe, and Question.
5. Be a Relationship Coach.
6. Provide Guided Opportunities for Helpful Participation.

References
Trauma Informed Classrooms & Transformations Schools, MacInerney, Mary and McKlingdon, Amy, Dec 2014.

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Social Isolation                  - Kay Moon

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Social Isolation                  - Kay Moon

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Symptoms:
Social isolation may be associated with other symptoms and signs including social withdrawal, a lack of interest in daily activities, boredom, a loss of interest in personal hygiene, poor eating and nutrition habits, home environment in disrepair, keeping excessive clutter or hoarding, poor sleep quality, impaired executive function, and accelerated cognitive decline in people suffering from dementia.

Strategies:

Investigate the Situation

Before you can help an isolated student, you need to find out why the student is struggling socially. Begin by observing the student in different settings such as at lunch, during recess, and in class. Discreetly talk with former teachers and trustworthy students to see what they think are the issues behind the social isolation. You may learn that the student’s difficulties are related to bossiness, mean girl behavior, shyness, home life issues or hygiene. Or, a student may be isolated simply because they are different. You may also find that the student is a victim of bullying, rumors and gossip, or even cyberbullying, and other students are avoiding the student due to peer pressure.

Address Any Bullying Issues

If you discover that social isolation is related to bullying and not a lack of social skills, be sure you address the bullying immediately. If the student is the victim of rumors or being ostracized by others, address these behaviors when you see them occur. You also can give the student ideas on coping with these types of bullying. And you can even plan several lessons that encourage empathy, respect, and other positive character traits.2

Coach the Student

Begin by helping isolated students improve their social skills. Offer guidance about social situations they might encounter and provide pointers on how to deal with those situations. This exercise might be as simple as encouraging the student to make eye contact with others and to be friendly. The goal is to get them to make an effort to build friendships and relationships with others.

Arrange Social Opportunities

One option is to encourage socially isolated students to get involved in activities that give them an opportunity to socialize with others. The activities you recommend will depend on the student’s areas of interest or talents. But these activities can include everything from yearbook and chess club to drama and sports. Even activities that involve community service are good opportunities for the student to socialize.

Another option is to develop a group project that students work on outside of class. Put the socially isolated student with a couple of mature, empathetic students who will be sure to include him in the project. Then, check on the group's progress and be sure things are moving along smoothly. You also can take the opportunity to help these students recognize their strengths and talents.

Organize a Lunch Club

Use the lunch club concept as an opportunity to reward students for being empathetic, compassionate, respectful, kind or helpful. The reward is that the students get a break from cafeteria food to eat in your classroom. If you can, provide pizza or another favorite food. Or, have the kids each contribute a few dollars toward the special lunch. Another option is to have them bring their school lunch to your classroom and the reward is that they can listen to music, relax, and enjoy ice cream after.

Whatever method you choose to reward your lunch club, be sure your socially isolated student is included. This special lunch will give the student an opportunity to connect with other students who will most likely be receptive.

A Word From Verywell

Overall, when it comes to forming connections at school, teachers play a vital role in helping more socially challenged students discover where they fit in. They also play a vital role in communicating that these students offer value to the school community and that they belong just as much as the next person. By engaging students and helping them connect, teachers are helping students get the most out of their school experience.

Reference:
https://www.medicinenet.com/social_isolation/symptoms.htm
https://www.verywellfamily.com/ways-teachers-can-help-socially-isolated-students-460602

https://youtu.be/E39b83Crpzs

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Syptoms:

Victims of relational aggression often experience:5

Academic struggles

Depression

Difficulty forming healthy friendships

Eating disorders

Feelings of rejection, inadequacy, and unattractiveness

Low self-esteem

Suicidal ideation

Strategies:

Always make sure you take the time to listen to your student. Be encouraging, patient, and empathetic.

Remind your students that what is happening is not their fault. Discuss the fact that while they cannot control what other people do or say, they can control their response. Consider counseling to help them express their feelings and learn healthy coping skills.

Also, have them evaluated by school doctor or a pediatrician if you notice any signs of depression or if they are expressing thoughts of suicide. These things should never be ignored.

Reference:
https://www.verywellfamily.com/relational-aggression-bullying-460498

https://youtu.be/4NeOVdLbRik

https://studio5.ksl.com/relational-aggression-what-it-is-and-what-to-do/

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Kids experience trauma when they witness abuse at home, are neglected by their parents, experience homelessness, witness violence in their neighborhoods or schools, are food insecure, or are abused or bullied by their peers. Even being in a car accident or going through a significant illness can cause trauma symptoms or PTSD.

For this reason, it is very important for educators and administrators to understand how trauma and PTSD can impact students, especially because it has been shown to impact learning.

Symptoms:

Have trouble forming relationships with teachers

Have poor self-regulation

Struggle with executive functions

Engage in negative thinking

Are hypervigilant

Strategies:

Change Your Perspective

When a student acts up in your classroom, stop and think for a moment about what might be causing the behavior.

Find Alternatives to Traditional Discipline

One of the challenges traumatized kids face in school is the fact that when they misbehave, most schools immediately enact some sort of discipline that ultimately withdraws attention such as suspension. Instead of suspending kids, schools should focus on helping them change their behaviors.

Focus on Positive Attention

Finally, in addition to connecting with kids that have been traumatized, it is important to give them as much positive attention as possible. Keep in mind that kids who have been traumatized tend to get attention by acting out because it is fast and efficient.

Be Predictable

Keep in mind, kids who have through some sort of trauma often worry about what is going to happen next. As a result, a daily routine in the classroom can provide the kind of structure and predictability that a traumatized child needs. Some teachers have found that visual cues in the classroom are especially helpful because a student can see the order for the day for the classroom activities.

Ask How You Can Help

It is OK to ask your student what you can do to help. Acknowledge that you see them struggling and that you want to help them succeed. Also, keep in mind that you do not need to know what has traumatized them in order to be helpful and supportive. As a result, focus on what you can do to help them rather than trying to get details about what they have experienced and how it has impacted them. You can still respond with flexibility and empathy without knowing the details about what the student has been through.

Remain Neutral and Not Judgmental

If your student does share what he has experienced, try not to be judgmental. It is especially harmful to develop a belief that what he experienced is not that bad. Remember, it is not what you think about the situation that matters, but instead how the child feels that matters. Likely, the situation he experienced made him feel vulnerable, scared and out of control. Remind yourself that it's the child's perception that really matters. What's more, many kids will minimize what they went through due to embarrassment and fear of what will happen if someone knows the truth.

Take Care of Yourself

It should go without saying that you should take care of yourself. But when you have a student with a challenging situation in your classroom, it can get draining and overwhelming. Be sure that you are taking time to care for yourself. This might include something as simple as a bubble at the end of the week or massage over the weekend. Whatever you need to feel rejuvenated and inspired enough to face another day of working with your traumatized student is what you need to do. The last thing your student needs is for you to be burnt out and irritable just when he was beginning to rely on you.

A Word from Verywell

Remember that just because a child has been traumatized or suffers from PTSD, this does not seal his or her fate in being a problem child. In fact, there are a number of things that teachers and other caring adults can do to not all help them overcome the effects of trauma, but also flourish rather than struggle. All it takes is a little patience and understanding and the rest will fall into place.

Resoueces:

https://youtu.be/TwRN1rWvHFw

https://www.verywellfamily.com/ptsd-trauma-4685816

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3287974/

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Help students feel safe and trusting by building a safe environment.

Change Your Perspective

Find Alternatives to Traditional Discipline

Be Predictable

Focus on Positive Attention

Ask How You Can Help

Encourage children to get exercise and engage in activities that bring them joy.

Remain Neutral and Not Judgmental

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Avoidance of certain people, places, and things

Changes in academic performance

Changes in behavior

Constant worrying or anxiousness

Difficulty focusing

Increased feelings of sadness or intense fear

Isolating self from family and peers

Overreacting to situations that were once not a big deal

LINKS
Childhood Trauma: Types, Causes, Signs, and Treatments (choosingtherapy.com)

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By Dee | Subscribe: http://bit.ly/sub2storybooth | Record your story @ https://storybooth.com or our iPhone app for a chance to get animated. | Comment, like, share this story. Dee shares an extraordinary story about the terrible and hurtful thing that was done to her, the struggle she faced inside to share it, and how by facing that struggle, and telling her Mother what happened, she became the hero of her own story, went to the police, testified in court and she put a bad guy in jail. - - - If you've been hurt, or don't feel safe, you can get help by telling an adult who you trust - a parent, a teacher, or a family friend - and make sure they listen. Or you can speak to someone right now who can help by calling 800-442-4453. - - - Dee lived with her Mom and her Mom had a lot of friends. One day while her Mom went out to pick up dinner with her girlfriends, one of her guy friends came over to watch Dee. He was a friend of the family. While her Mother was out, he closed her bedroom door and sexually abused her. He did things to her that she did not want. Sexual abuse and child abuse are very serious things particularly when it is child sexual abuse. It's a thing that can be hurtful, confusing, shameful and very scary. Dee did not know what to do. When she was in school she was very quiet and kept to herself. She told no on what he did to her. Molested, sexual abuse, physical abuse, assault, sexual assault, whatever it was called, all she knew is that she was hurt and extremely sad. Then one day when she was driving with her mom the truth came out and she felt so relieved it did. She told someone she trusted, her Mom, what happened and they cried together. He abused her sexually. Then eventually, they went to the police and told them too. She ended up at a trial and was incredibly brave to stand up for herself and testify - tell the trust about what he did to her. As a result, he is in jail, a bad guy is in jail, he is a sex offender, a sexual predator. And Dee is on her way to getting healthy and happy again. "my sexual abuse story" is not one that will define her. Any form of abuse is not okay, whether it is sexual, physical or emotional. No one should be a victim of abuse - no one should have an abuse story. Dee is a victim but one that bravely faced the man who hurt her. He is a sex offender who hurt kids. She is not sad anymore but what happened will never go away. This is one abuse story that has sope. Please visit, support, seek help and get educated about abuse from: Lauren's Kids: Lauren's Kids works to prevent abuse, protect children and help survivors heal. Learn more at http://LaurensKids.org Darkness to Light: Darkness to Light trains adults how to prevent, recognize, and react to child sexual abuse. Learn more at http://www.D2L.org. National Children's Advocacy Center: The NCAC delivers excellence in child abuse response and prevention through service, education, and leadership. Learn more at http://www.nationalcac.org These organizations partnered with storybooth on providing a pathway to education, advocacy and help on the subject of child abuse and childhood sexual abuse. We thank them for their guidance and support. Child sexual abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, molestation, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sex offender, are all words and phrases children should never have to heal let alone experience. This storytime is one storybooth story that hope never to receive again. Its one of the sad stories that show how strong kids can be. LINKS Website: http://www.storybooth.com Instagram: @thestorybooth https://www.instagram.com/thestorybooth Twitter: @thestorybooth https://www.twitter.com/thestorybooth G+: https://plus.google.com/+Storybooth/v... CONTACT US info@storybooth.com ABOUT STORYBOOTH Real Stories, Animated. Storybooth is a digital platform that invites kids to record and submit their stories for a chance to have them animated and shared with the world. Embarrassment, heartbreak, challenges or triumphs; funny, sad, serious, or silly - we're looking for all kinds of stories - they just need to be real. Stories we select are then turned into animations and are published and distributed online for viewing, sharing, and engaging with on computers, tablets, and mobile devices. PTSD

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By Dee | Subscribe: http://bit.ly/sub2storybooth | Record your story @ https://storybooth.com or our iPhone app for a chance to get animated. | Comment, like, share this story. Dee shares an extraordinary story about the terrible and hurtful thing that was done to her, the struggle she faced inside

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Symptoms and Response Strategies:
> Dropping out of school

work closely with the school counselors to monitor; engage specifically with the student - let them know you know when they are there and they are not (Jay, I noticed you weren't here yesterday..); develop post-high school goals together - identify reasons for them to stay in school.

> Anger/violence

connecting with school and community resources that provide counseling; engage in listening circles; SEL activities to help students identify their emotions and learn strategies to cope; allow students to take 5 when they need it.

> Victimization

same as above but also not allowing this to take place in the classroom in any form. All students should feel protected and safe in the classroom. Setting up norms for the classroom that promotes a community where what we are or who we belong to outside of here does not affect who we are inside our classroom.

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Youth gang involvement impacts the health and welfare of the individual, as well as that of his or her family, peers, and community.

Youth Involved in Gangs

The numerous consequences stemming from gang involvement can have varying degrees of short and long-term negative outcomes. Youth who become involved in gangs face the increased risk of

dropping out of school;

teen parenthood;

unemployment;

victimization;

drug and alcohol abuse;

committing petty and violent crimes; and

Further, a youth's involvement with a gang (or gangs) also leads to an increased likelihood of economic hardship and family problems in adulthood, which in turn, contribute to involvement in street crime and/or arrest in adulthood. Research has suggested that the longer an adolescent stays in a gang the more disruption he or she will experience while transitioning into adulthood and in adulthood itself.

Impact on Communities

Large communities, those with a population over 50,000, are at the greatest risk of significant gang activity, and community members face heightened fear that they, their families, schools, or businesses, will become victims of theft and/or violence. Further, communities with gang activity are disproportionately affected by theft, negative economic impact, vandalism, assault, gun violence, illegal drug trade, and homicide.

Impact on Society

On the societal level, youth gang involvement costs local, state, and federal governments a substantial amount of money in prevention, response, incarceration, and rehabilitation efforts. It has been estimated that overall crime in the U.S. costs taxpayers $655 billion annually with a substantial amount of this crime attributed to gang activity.

Resources

The Impact of Gangs on Communities (PDF, 9 pages)
This National Youth Gang Center bulletin gives a comprehensive discussion on the effects of gangs within communities and the lifelong effects of this problem. Factors taken into account include demographics of a community, and the impacts gang activity can have on the economic and physical climate of an affected area.

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Youth gang involvement impacts the health and welfare of the individual, as well as that of his or her family, peers, and community. The numerous consequences stemming from gang involvement can have varying degrees of short and long-term negative outcomes.

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Students Experiencing Homelessness (aja couso)

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Students Experiencing Homelessness (aja couso)

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Symptoms and Response Strategies:
> Lack of resources: food, clothing, school supplies, transportation

keep a closet of gently used donated clothing; have snacks available; encourage school provided meals; have school supply "kits" available (backpack, school supplies, folders, etc.); connect family with local resources such as shelters and food banks; encourage the use of school resources for after school (library, study hall, etc.); the law mandates schools provide resources to students who are experiencing homelessness - contact the administrator &/or Homeless Education Liaison at the school to ensure transportation is provided.

> Heightened anxiety and stress due to instability in home life

provide a safe classroom environment with clear procedures, routines and expectations. This will help provide a sense of normalcy and consistency while inside the classroom.

> Possible shame and attempt to hide situation from peers

try to avoid group activities that discuss home life - possibly use activities that deal with a what if scenarios (what did your family do for Christmas break? maybe instead - What would an ideal holiday break be?)

> Missing homework, assignments, etc. due

Do not penalize student if homework is missing or incomplete; offer alternate assignments that can be completed in class

From the article:
Statistics:
> More likely to be chronically absent
less likely to complete high school and continue in their education
> Less likely to complete high school and continue in their education
> Less likely than their peers to meet or exceed state achievement standards

Solutions and Suggestions:
> Invest in training that prepares educators and support staff to work with and reengage students experiencing homelessness.
> Improve identification of students experiencing homelessness by dedicating more staff time and resources to liaison responsibilities
> Increase access to school services and supports that reduce barriers to student engagement.
> Provide wraparound supports through community schools and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

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Symptoms

Angry

Distant

Withdrawn

Change in academics

Emotional

Disruptive/acting out

Poor Attendance

Strategies

Create a safe classroom environment

Allow students time to express their emotions and or feeling

Refer to school counselor

Be patient and understanding

Allow more time to complete wok.

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Symptoms

Distant( Drastic change of behavior)

Hungry

Tired

Change in academics

Mad or Angry

Disruptive

Strategies

Communication and understanding

Extra food and snacks

Extra support if need with assignments

Time to rest

Communicate with social worker or counselor to see if their are possible housing options

conference with parents.

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School closures leave homeless students even more vulnerable

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Sexual Abuse                  - Kay Moon

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Sexual Abuse                  - Kay Moon

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Children who have been sexually abused may display a range of emotional and behavioral reactions, many of which are characteristic of children who have experienced other types of trauma.

These reactions/symptoms include:

An increase in nightmares and/or other sleeping difficulties

Withdrawn behavior

Angry outbursts

Anxiety

Depression

Not wanting to be left alone with a particular individual(s)

Sexual knowledge, language, and/or behaviors that are inappropriate for the child’s age

Strategies:

What to Say to the child

If a child even hints in a vague way that sexual abuse has occurred, encourage him or her to talk freely. Don't make judgmental comments.

1. Show that you understand and take seriously what the child is saying. Child and adolescent psychiatrists have found that children who are listened to and understood share more and have less emotional problems than children who are dismissed or not believed.  Responding without judgment to a child who is disclosing sexual abuse is very important to the their healing from the trauma of sexual abuse.

2. Assure the child that they did the right thing in telling. A child who is close to the abuser may feel guilty about revealing the secret. The child may feel frightened if the abuser has threatened to harm the child or other family members as punishment for telling the secret.

3. Tell the child that he or she is not to blame for the sexual abuse. Most children in attempting to make sense out of the abuse will believe that somehow they caused it or may even view it as a form of punishment for imagined or real wrongdoings.

4. Finally, offer the child protection, and promise that you will promptly take steps to see that the abuse stops.

What to Do

Report any suspicion of child abuse. If the abuse is within the family, report it to the local Child Protection Agency. If the abuse is outside of the family, report it to the police. Individuals reporting in good faith can't be prosecuted. The agency receiving the report will conduct an evaluation and will take action to protect the child.

Parents should talk with their pediatrician or family doctor, who may refer them to a physician who specializes in evaluating and treating sexual abuse. The examining doctor will evaluate the child's condition and treat any physical problem related to the abuse, gather evidence to help protect the child, and reassure the child that he or she is all right.

Children who have been sexually abused should have an evaluation by a child and adolescent psychiatrist or other qualified mental health professional to find out how the sexual abuse has affected them, and to determine whether ongoing professional help is necessary for the child to deal with the trauma of the abuse. The child and adolescent psychiatrist can also provide support to other family members who may be upset by the abuse.

While most allegations of sexual abuse made by children are true, some false accusations may arise in custody disputes and in other situations. Occasionally, the court will ask a child and adolescent psychiatrist to help determine whether the child is telling the truth, or whether it will hurt the child to speak in court about the abuse.

When a child is asked as to testify, special considerations--such as videotaping, frequent breaks, exclusion of spectators, and the option not to look at the accused--make the experience much less stressful.

Adults are always the ones to blame when they abuse children. The abused children should never be blamed, even if the abuser reports that the child agreed or consented. In situations where a teen under 18-years has told the abuser that he or she consents, this does not make the abuse any less of a crime or any less damaging to the child.

When a child tells someone about sexual abuse, a supportive, caring response is the first step in getting help for the child and reestablishing their trust in adults.

Resources:
Problematic Sexual Behavior-Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for School-Age Children

https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/sexual-abuse

https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Responding_To-Child-Sexual-Abuse-028.aspx

https://youtu.be/UbtSJCw_lqw

https://www.beyonddifferences.org/social-isolation/

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Our brand new animation explores simple steps we can all take to make children safer.

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Guide for Helping Students Who are Victims of Abuse

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Guide for Helping Students Who are Victims of Abuse

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Our varied roles as therapist, educator, school psychologist, school bus driver, student, and administrator have provided us with the experience and education on which this article is based. This is a new field, an area in which all of us are searching for facts, understanding, and ways to help those who have been and continue to be abused. The combined perspectives we share from personal, professional, and academic experiences have added to our knowledge in ways that have been valuable to us as people who care a great deal about children.

Probably no adult is more trusted by children who have been abused than a beloved and caring teacher. Teachers have an opportunity afforded few adults to identify abused children and to start a process that will restore safety in the child's world. However, many teachers have not been adequately prepared to deal with the complex social issues that have so strongly affected abused children. We want to give teachers a knowledge base about child abuse, describe possible interventions, and communicate an understanding of the emotional issues involved.

Survivors' Voices

Before I started kindergarten, I knew that I could not believe what people said. My father would say, "I know you like this," as he touched me in sexual ways that I did not like or that caused great physical pain. My early years were a real struggle. Because I could not trust what I heard, it was hard to learn sound-letter associations, memorize isolated facts, or learn anything I had heard and not seen.

The messages I received from my perpetrators were intended to prevent my telling what they were doing to me. To keep the horrible secret I learned to be silent, and the silence became my prison. I felt that I was the only child who had ever experienced such bad things. I thought I was so bad that I should separate myself from everyone. It was lonely.

Since I felt I could not talk, I did all kinds of quiet acting out in the hope that someone would notice that something was terribly wrong in my life. My behaviors were either ignored or I was told to behave, to be a good girl. During 3rd and 4th grade, I repeatedly sawed on or cut my wrist with a little knife. I wore bizarre clothing, laughed excessively, and withdrew from others.

Today I am a school psychologist. I have overcome the academic hurdles, but I continue to experience some of the emotional pain of abuse.

The messages about my abuse were also intended to keep me quiet, to protect my perpetrators. I was quiet and shy, but I would also do daring things with little regard for my physical safety. They called me "accident prone." I was told I was crazy and that if I ever told, "someone" would take me away and I would never see anyone in my family again ... or I would be killed. These were terrifying threats to me.

I was a very good student, usually at the top of my class. Looking back now, I was afraid to be anything but perfect. I was afraid of what would happen at home. School became a safe haven, and I worked hard to keep it that way by staying silent about my abuse. I remember more than once trying to get teachers to take me home with them.

I am currently a school bus driver and enjoy daily contact with children in a less-structured environment. When I see symptoms of child abuse, I report what I hear and observe. I would always rather err on the side of the child. I would rather make the report than to ignore what I know.

In 1987, when I was asked to facilitate groups for survivors of abuse at a University Counseling Center, I knew little about the incidence or results of abuse. The frequency of women who had been abused as children was much greater than we had thought. We soon had 4 groups and more than 50 names on a waiting list. I learned about the tremendous cost of keeping the family secret. I learned of the emotional pain that can result from feeling different. As an educator I was appalled at my previous lack of awareness of the consequences of abuse. I vowed to somehow assist in giving a voice to those survivors who can teach us what it was to live with abuse and how to help today's children.

The Incidence of Child Abuse

Although the statistics are overwhelming, professionals in the mental health field generally accept that the incidence of child abuse is much greater than that reported.

In 1979, Geiser advised that 200,000 children were sexually abused each year with victims as young as two months. "Nightline's" Forrest Sawyer (1989) stated that 2 million cases of child abuse are reported in the United States every year. In its newsletter, the National Organization for Victims' Assistance (1989) indicated that 2.2 million children are reported physically or sexually abused each year. Many cases are closed after a cursory investigation; many cases remain unreported.

35 percent of all reported child sex abuse cases in 1988 were of girls under 6.

Dr. Michael Durfee of the Los Angeles Department of Health Services reported in 1984 that more sexual abuse was reported on 2-year-olds than any other age group; 3- and 4-year-olds were next.

More than 2 million cases of child abuse were reported in 1986, compared with 669,000 in 1976.

More than 1,200 children die each year through child abuse and neglect.

Parents who were abused as children were six times more likely to abuse their own children.

5 to 20 percent of psychiatric outpatients were women who had experienced incest.

4 out of 10 mothers of children who died of physical abuse were incest victims.

One-half to three-fourths of adult male sexual offenders had been sexually abused.

Sexual abuse was one of three reasons children ran away from home.

In a questionnaire sent to 1,800 college students, one-third indicated that they had been sexually abused.

Research on child abuse is a fairly recent development. Only in the last two decades has the subject appeared in professional journals. It is urgent that all personnel in public schools become educated and make every effort to break the continuing cycle of abuse.

Types of Abuse

Covert sexual abuse is more difficult to recognize. Since this type of abuse does not include physical contact, the perpetrator may rationalize the behavior as innocent. Examples may include voyeurism, asking the child to watch inappropriate sexual behaviors, invading the child's privacy, and/or behaving in a seductive manner toward the child.

Most adults who have not been abused would rather not accept the reality of the number of children who have been abused. Many prefer to think of physical injury, terrorizing, and psychological torture as atrocities that only happen to hostages imprisoned in foreign countries. They do not want to accept that these abominations occur to nearly 2.7 million children in this country ("Study Finds ..." 1992). Figure 1 lists physical and behavioral indicators of these four types of abuse.

Figure 1

Supporting Victims of Child Abuse - table

Adapted in part from: D. D. Broadhurst, M. Edmunds, and R. A. MacDicken. (1979). Early Childhood Programs and the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect. The User Manual Series. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

A Safe Classroom Environment

There is no escape for children caught in a world where silence often seems the only way to survive. And there is no escape from confronting the issues for those who work with children. Teachers who educate themselves about abuse will find many opportunities to support children who have neither the experience nor the maturity to unravel the turmoil they face.

Although the academic environment is structured for learning, the ability to learn is dependent on a child's arriving at school with basic needs met. Children who have been abused have had the basic requirements for healthy development withheld and violated. Getting physiological needs met, as well as those for safety, belonging, trust, and love, maximizes the child's development as a learner. The classroom teacher has the opportunity to provide an environment where the child can begin to succeed and recognize that he or she is capable and valued.

The most important ingredient in a safe classroom is the teacher's attitude toward students. The most crucial belief a teacher must have is that the child is not to blame. There is nothing that a child can do to prevent or stop the abuse. The discrepancy between the power of a child and that of an adult is too great. However, it is important to remember that these children are strong. They have developed coping mechanisms that have helped them to survive traumatic experiences. An accepting, caring attitude by the teacher will allow the child to trust enough to make the first steps toward developing a saner life.

Each of us needs a personal space into which others do not intrude without permission (Blume 1990). Victimized children have not learned that it is okay to say no, nor do they know how it feels to have personal and physical space honored. The teacher should help an abused child to set healthy boundaries and to know that he or she will be respected. Before the child can believe in his or her ability to set personal boundaries, he or she may need to be taught to trust personal judgments, feelings, and perceptions (Blume 1990).

Part of establishing healthy boundaries is understanding that confidentiality within the school is honored by staff and students. If a student confides in classmates and teachers, the information must be handled with great care in order to protect the vulnerability of the child. At times, the disclosure of information about the abuse may be unintentional. Some of the ways the secret may accidentally be disclosed are observations by the teacher or others, physical injuries or conditions discovered in a doctor's examination, and/or inappropriate sexual behaviors by the child (Sgroi et al. 1982).

To offer support, the teacher must, first, be approachable. If an abused child begins to tell what is happening, positive body language will encourage the child to continue. The teacher must also watch for cues about how to respond. The child may either want to be comforted physically or may not want to be touched. At this point, it is more important to actively listen than to comment or ask questions. Listening to those who will talk is important; however, some students will be unable to share verbally what is happening. In these instances, the teacher must be observant. The indicators listed in Figure 1 may help teachers in attempting to decide if abuse should be suspected.

Drawings, too, may provide clues to students who have been sexually abused. Hillman and Solek-Tefft (1988) list five themes to ask a child about if they are drawn repeatedly: stark sexual images, phallic symbols, general symbols (broken hearts, rain, black skies), self-image distortions, and general confusion (p. 107).

Girls and boys who have been abused attempt both to keep the secret of what is happening and to control the emotional turmoil they feel inside. As a result, the child may act out, or he or she may become the epitome of the "good" child. Both of these behaviors may disguise the problem. A child who behaves as a perfect student may be seen as having no problems, while acting out may cover the real issues, making the child appear to be the problem. Teachers should listen to their gut response to a child, particularly if that feeling is based on a suspicion that something is wrong.

Occasionally a child will spontaneously disclose an episode of abuse. Although a teacher may doubt the story, it is vitally important to believe the child (Besharov 1990). The child is taking a significant step in trusting the teacher enough to tell what is happening. To betray that trust would repeat the betrayal experienced when an adult abused the child and failed to serve as a protector. Even though the explanation may be fragmented, teachers should listen supportively and ask open-ended questions to fill in gaps. Sometimes after telling the secret, the child may recant the story due to fear, threats, or acceleration of the abuse (Sgroi et al. 1982). Most experts agree that children do not have the ability or knowledge to make up complex lies, especially lies related to adult sexual behavior (Besharov 1990, Conerly 1986, Crewdson 1988).

How to Support an Abused Child

Although teachers are not responsible for investigation of child abuse, they are legally obligated to report suspected abuse. When abuse is suspected, the teacher can compare the child's behaviors with those of other students at the same developmental level, review the child's past and present behaviors, and refer to indicators such as those listed in Figure 1. To report any suspicions, the teacher should contact the school district child abuse team or the Department of Social Services. The appropriate agencies will assess the situation and decide how to keep the child safe.

Working with children who have suffered abuse is a skill that every teacher possesses. Given a few guidelines and accurate information, the teacher's natural concern and caring for students will promote the process of healing. Teachers have the opportunity to give an abused child the hope of a childhood, the joy of play, and the sense of being cared for by others. Those are gifts that cannot be measured in any monetary or quantitative way.

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Classroom teachers have a unique opportunity to identify abused children and to start the healing process that will restore safety to their lives.

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Be aware of signs of neglect and follow school protocol for reporting suspected cases of neglect.

Work with the school/govenment agenciesto ensure the student’s safet

Create a safe classroom environment for the student

Build up the student’s confidence by working with them to set reasonable goals that they can accomplish. Help the student to develop strong sense of self-worth.

Give the student structure by allowing them to express themselves and negative feelings in a safe manner using art or music.

Help the student develop a sense of identity by consistantly drawing their attention to their strengths.

Help the student develop set of interests.

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Often late for school

Often sick/Does not go to the doctor

Injuries

Poor hygiene

Dirty clothes

Clothes do not fit

Poor attendance

Disruptive/attention-seeking behavior

Poor grades

Does not communicate well

Low self-esteem

# data[].attributes.body
Create a safe environment for the student to share what he/she is experiencing

Have the student share the identity of the bullying students

Report the situation to school administrators/counselors (follow school protocol)

Keep the student at a physical distance in class from the bullying students

Have actionable consequences for bullying behavior. Administer consequences consistently.

# data[].attributes.body
Avoids school or specific classes

Mood changes

Depression

Low self-esteem

Spends time alone

Quality of schoolwork diminishes

Stops socializing/ withdrawals

Has injuries

Belongings go missing

Self-harm, suicidal ideations

Reports headaches/stomachaches

# data[].attributes.body
Monitor the student’s behavior

Make sure the student feels safe.

Model and teaching coping skills

Have the student practice journaling

Make sure that the classroom and home spaces are safe for the student

# data[].attributes.body
Anger

Tantrums

Acting out

Depression

Risk-taking

Anxiety

Maturity regression

Tiredness, head/stomach aches

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What are effects of divorce on children | Health And Nutrition