Over the past 15 years, researchers have learned that highly stressful childhood experiences are more prevalent than previously understood, writes David Bornstein in The New York Times. Scientists now understand the mechanisms by which these experiences change the brain and body, with far-reaching implications for schools. It's still standard to punish children for misbehavior that they often can't control -- comparable to punishing a child for having a seizure, in Bornstein's view. Yet alternative practices are taking hold, though practice lags well behind knowledge. The Massachusetts state legislature is reviewing a bill that would require all schools in the state to create "safe and supportive" environments drawing on trauma research. The Crittenton Children's Center, based in Kansas City, has shown impressive results with its Head Start -- Trauma Smart program, which is expanding in Missouri and Kansas. In Philadelphia, the Institute for Safe Families has launched a citywide task force to focus on responses to trauma in pediatric settings. We send a powerful message about our values when we make accommodations for people with disabilities; schools send powerful messages by the way they treat children whose behavior falls outside normal bounds. They can mete out punishment in ways that reinforce judgments and hierarchies and perpetuate crises -- or can respond in ways that deepen understanding about others and build supportive communities. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.