Many children experience adversity in the form of poverty, abuse or neglect, homelessness, or other conditions that make them vulnerable to the damaging effects of chronic stress. New research reveals that chronic stress alters their rapidly developing biological systems in ways that undermine their ability to succeed in school and in life. The good news is that we have strong evidence for programs and approaches that policy makers could use to help these children overcome the effects of stress.
Resource Topic: Research
Adverse Community Experiences and Resilience
This report offers a groundbreaking framework for understanding the relationship between community trauma and violence. Until now, there has been no basis for understanding how community trauma undermines both individual and community resilience, especially in communities highly impacted by violence, and what can be done about it.
Helping Traumatized Children Learn: Creating and Advocating for Trauma-Sensitive Schools
As a follow up to Helping Traumatized Children Learn: A Report and Policy Agenda, this hopes to move beyond awareness of trauma’s impacts on learning to help schools become trauma-sensitive learning environments that can improve educational outcomes for all students
Helping Traumatized Children Learn: A Report and Policy Agenda
A collaboration among educators, parents, mental health professionals, community groups, and attorneys determined to help children experiencing the traumatic effects of exposure to family violence succeed in school.
Three Principles to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families (Center on Developing Child, Harvard University)
The science of child development and the core capabilities of adults point to a set of “design principles” that policymakers and practitioners in many different sectors can use to improve outcomes for children and families. That is, to be maximally effective, policies and services should:
- Support responsive relationships for children and adults.
- Strengthen core life skills.
- Reduce sources of stress in the lives of children and families
These three principles can guide decision-makers as they choose among policy alternatives, design new approaches, and shift existing practice in ways that will best support building healthy brains and bodies.