As much as I have heard of
students having to deal with it, I have never encountered someone that has been
directly influenced by it. I have an interest in this topic simply because it is something that I am curious to know more about. I know that this is something that happens more often than I would like to admit in families, and even sometimes unknowingly.
My topic is: Children exposed to
Risk, stress, and trauma. with the
Concentration/subtopic being:
Violence/fear in families and neighborhoods.
In speaking to people about this topic...how do I approach someone who has been a victim in this without overstepping my boundaries in questions?
Hello Whitney,
ReplyDeleteI think this is a wonderful topic to do research in. In spite of all the positive steps you take to build a positive relationship with every family, you will still encounter challenging situations that work against a partnership. Some families ae coping with basic needs and experiencing ongoing stress that makes it difficult for them to be available to their child. Others choose not to get involved, thinking that their child's education is a professional matter only. As always, it's important to understand what is causing a challenging situation so you can address the real issue.
Increasing, teachers deal with families under stress. A large number of families are headed by single parents who must seek employment or job training without knowing who iwill be caring for their young children.
Parents who are under stress of life situations do not always have the emotional energy or physical resources to provide nurturing care for their children-sometimes even to meet their children's most basic needs.
Thank you for your response Gail, I do believe that this is a topic that I will not be able to tackle alone and that there will have to be more professionals from other fields assisting with families to get the most out of this topic. I believe that counseling and some other forms of support will also be needed to get real results.
DeleteHi, Whitney this is a great topic. Risk, stress, and trauma is a that I too believe children and their family are facing more frequently than we think. I think the violence in our country as a whole is having a major negative impact on our young children. I think that approaching someone who has been a victim can be done if you build a trusting relationship or partnership with the parent. I recently completed training and received certification in the Strengthening Families Program. You may be familiar with this program. But if not, I think you should look into it.
ReplyDeleteStrengthening Families is a research-informed approach to increase family strengths, enhance child development and reduce the likelihood of child abuse and neglect. It is based on engaging families, programs and communities in building five protective factors:
Parental resilience
Social connections
Knowledge of parenting and child development
Concrete support in times of need
Social and emotional competence of children
References
http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengtheningfamilies
Thank you so much for the resource Laquetta. I have not heard of that program specifically but I have heard of some that are similar in purpose to it. Thanks again! I will surely check this site out.
DeleteWhitney,
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be an interesting topic to research. There are a lot of children being raised in violent homes; and community that are violent and filled with trauma everyday. There are inner-city violence, and suburban family violence. I believe violence does not discriminate. It doesn't matter the color of your skin or where your zip code resides. Educators have to really be observant of children's behavior in their classrooms. I can't wait to read your findings:)
You are so right Deziree! This is a topic that I think happens more often then we care to admit or acknowledge at time. The issue I have a lot of times is that once teachers refer it to the counselors...there is no more feedback that we get on the situation which leaves us lost and I personally feel a sense of "It is none of my business" as a result of this. I feel as though that does not give us as the educators an opportunity to share a true concern for what is or may not be going on.
DeleteHello Whitney:
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great topic. There are so many children dealing with adversity, and we are unaware. Trauma can definitely impact a child's development. One of my students experienced a traumatic event this year where he displayed impulsive behavior as a result. This had a negative impact on his grades. Although he knew how to answer questions correctly, he just wrote down anything on assessments. As an approach, I would make the student feel welcome daily in my classroom. When he first came in, he was given a task to be my helper. This set the precedent for his day to be positive. Children need caring adults to develop positive qualities (Hanson and Lynch, 2013).
Resources
Hanson, M. J., & Lynch, E. W. (2013). Understanding families: Approaches to diversity, disability, and risk. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
J Levine you are absolutely right. Children really do need caring adults that they can trust and rely on when they are dealing with situations. I personally stand to my door and speak to each child as they come into my room as a way to begin to build a rapport with them and it helps out tremendously in the end.
DeleteWhitney,
ReplyDeleteThis is such an important topic! Military OnceSource has many articles and helpful parent pamphlets in specifically this area. Your specific focus is one that many tend to forget about, having violence/fear in families and neighborhoods. Today I was in Baltimore at the Convention Center. One year ago, due to the riots, I was very fearful of going out due to what was happening. I can't imagine what children having to deal with a fear of your own neighborhood or family daily.
Sonia! Thank you so much for the insight and the resources!! I can only imagine as well!
DeleteWhitney,
ReplyDeleteYou have chosen a very hard but important topic. You can help a great deal of people, students and young children with this issue. You can give a voice to children that don't know what to say. I can't imagine how a child must feel to be afraid to home or afraid to leave their home. Not only will you be able to tell us how they feel but you can tell us how to help them. Children can be expected to learn to their fullest potential if they are worried and scared. Your project with help children and educators.
Good Luck and Best Wishes,
Freya McCleery
Thank you Freya! A very hard topic indeed. I hope that I am able to answer all those questions and more!
DeleteWhat a terrific topic. Great question as well! How does one approach someone without overstepping? I look forward to learning more from your research! A great resource for you may be: The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. A particular article that I found especially relevant for educators is "Interventions for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence: Core Principles" It can be found at: http://www.nctsn.org/content/interventions-children-exposed-domestic-violence-core-principles
ReplyDeleteReferences
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (n.d.). Interventions for children exposed to domestic violence: Core principles | National child traumatic stress network - Child trauma home. Retrieved from http://www.nctsn.org/content/interventions-children-exposed-domestic-violence-core-principles
This is a great topic and it makes be think of bullying and intimidation that happens every day in our schools and neighborhoods! I can't wait to read more about your project.
ReplyDelete