Helen Lee. An Explorative Study of Secondary Traumatic Stress, Supports, and Self-care Practices of Early Career Teachers in High Poverty, Urban Public Schools 

Educators who work closely with traumatized students often become susceptible to the development of traumatic responses themselves. Secondary trauma, also known as vicarious trauma, has been found to negatively impact teachers’ attachment to students, feelings toward work, and overall well-being. For teachers who work in high-poverty, urban communities, the likelihood of experiencing secondary traumatic stress (STS) is greater given that students in their care are likely to be exposed to traumatic events much more frequently than students who reside in other contexts. While responses to STS can vary from teacher-to-teacher, early career teachers in high-needs, underresourced schools may face other personal and environmental stressors that significantly challenge their ability to respond to STS in a developmentally appropriate or restorative manner. If left unaddressed, STS can erode the capacity of teachers to adequately supports their students as well as undermine long-term, organizational improvement efforts. This study, therefore, aims to examine the ways in which trauma affects early career teachers situated in high-poverty, urban schools and their responses to such experiences. What supports—both within the school and beyond it—help educators manage and recover from various job-related stressors, specifically secondary trauma exposure? Furthermore, what practices do educators engage in to mitigate the deleterious effects of experiences with extreme stress? In this study, descriptive data will be collected to explore the experiences and perceptions of teachers working with traumatized students. Insights from this study will inform the design of a larger scale survey that will assess STS supports for teachers more broadly.

 

Helen Lee

Comparative Human Development