Trauma-Informed Care in Schools: Perspectives From School Resource Officers and School Security Professionals During Professional Development Training

Abstract

School resource officers (SROs) and school security professionals (SSPs) have increased presence in schools, yet little is known about how they view the importance of their relationships with students and the broader school climate. This article is part of a larger study of an online professional development module on trauma-informed care and is focused on the qualitative reflection responses from 95 participants from three large school districts in the southeast United States. Informed by the levels of ecological systems theory, three salient themes were identified by the researchers: how SSPs and SROs describe school climate, how they respond to students with traumatic experiences, and how their perspectives may be affected by their differing roles. Findings indicate that SROs and SSPs benefited from this training on trauma-informed care because they expressed learning new strategies and feeling better equipped to serve and support students with known or unknown adverse childhood experiences.

Impact Statement

Qualitative responses from this group of engaged school security professionals and school resource officers show the importance of intentional training on how to effectively create schools that are physically and psychologically safe spaces for all students. We learned that trauma-informed approaches are often not explicitly taught to school security professionals, despite their close work with students in schools. School security professionals believe that being empowered with this knowledge has the potential to influence how they will work with students in the future. It is ethically important to train school staff to work with students in an equitable and informed manner.

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2372966X.2020.1832863.

Keywords:

• police
• adverse childhood experiences
• school climate

ASSOCIATE EDITOR:

• Amanda Nickerson

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We thank Ashley Woolweaver for her contributions and assistance.

DISCLOSURE

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anjali J. Forber-Pratt

Anjali J. Forber-Pratt, PhD, is an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University in the Peabody College of Education in the Department of Human and Organizational Development. Her research agenda examines issues related to identity development, school safety, social–emotional learning, and school climate, particularly for individuals who are different in some way, with a large focus on disability. She is trained in qualitative methodologies and is the author on 28 peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous chapters.

America J. El Sheikh

America J. El Sheikh is a graduate student in counselor education at the University of Florida. Her research interests include multicultural psychology and counseling, protective factors for minorities, posttraumatic growth, prevention science, the connections between mental and physical health, and understanding barriers and enablers for seeking mental health treatment and services.

Luz E. Robinson

Luz E. Robinson is a graduate student in APA-accredited School Psychology program in the Peabody School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interests include school-based violence prevention, school safety, mental health promotion, social–emotional learning, and resilience among Latinx and other marginalized youth.

Dorothy L. Espelage

Dorothy L. Espelage, PhD, is a William C. Friday Professor of Education in the Peabody School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Espelage has authored over 190 peer-reviewed articles, six edited books, and 70 chapters on school violence, bullying, homophobic teasing, sexual harassment, and school climate.

Katherine M. Ingram

Katherine M. Ingram is a graduate student in school psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research and clinical interests include school-based approaches to fostering healthy relationships and preventing interpersonal and sexual violence.

Alberto Valido

Alberto Valido is a graduate student in applied developmental science and special education at the Peabody School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Valido’s research interests include intersectionality with a mental health prevention focus and randomized clinical trials, specifically among adolescents who experience discrimination or are victimized at school due to their sexual, racial, or gender identities.

Cagil Torgal

Cagil Torgal is a doctoral student in counseling psychology at the University of Florida. Her research interests include online and in-person bullying and victimization with an emphasis on bystander behavior and the links between adverse experiences and mental health among youth.