Determining the Structure of Trauma‐Informed Practices in Schools

ABSTRACT Schools implement a variety of trauma‐informed practices (TIP) to address the impact of trauma. While well‐intentioned, there is insufficient consensus in defining what is involved in being “trauma‐informed.” This exploratory investigation had two primary aims in the service of an overall goal: to identify an initial list of components of TIP, and to begin to determine which are implemented in practice. The overall goal is to organize the literature sufficiently to prompt and support additional empirical evaluation of the nature and effectiveness of TIP in schools. First, the authors identified TIP included in curricula, models, and literature. Second, school staff ( n = 110) completed an online survey measuring the identified TIP in their personal work and schoolwide. Reported frequencies of TIP implementation were categorized according to relatively more or less common reported use. Factor analysis of these components revealed three potential categories of TIP implemented in schools: TIP under individual control, schoolwide TIP, and general effective practices not focused on addressing trauma. Clustering participants based on these factors found three patterns of TIP in different school environments in this sample: (1) trauma‐informed, (2) focused on general effectiveness, and (3) frustrated/disengaged individuals reporting interest in TIP amidst schools they experience as focusing neither on trauma‐informed nor on generally effective practice. Factors and school clusters were both related to participants' perceptions of the relative success of their schools. Further research should address current limitations and ultimately determine which patterns of TIP should be prioritized in future implementation efforts.