What Secondary Trauma Looks Like in Teachers
Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is the emotional distress that arises when someone vicariously experiences the traumatic experiences of another individual. Sometimes this response is known as compassion fatigue. First, there are a few terms we can use when we refer to the empathetically witnessing of the traumatic response of our students or those we care about. These terms are vicarious trauma, secondary trauma, and trauma exposure. We experience vicarious trauma when we witness the trauma within our students but feel powerless to help.
Today, over half of all children in the United States suffer from some kind of trauma. While other fields, like nursing and law enforcement have identified the toll of secondary trauma on their professions and have made huge strides in treating those affected by it, there is still a very real lack of care for teachers. One reason STS goes unrecognized is that it can mirror the emotional burnout many teachers experience.
Signs of Vicarious Trauma:
Some signs of vicarious trauma include being preoccupied with others’ stories of trauma, a disruption in sleep, a lack of appetite, stress, anxiety, and depression. Teachers can not only experience vicarious trauma, but also experience their own trauma alongside secondary trauma, compounding the issues.
Other signs of vicarious trauma include:
Feeling helpless or hopeless
Hyper vigilance
Diminished creativity
Inability to embrace complexity
Minimizing
Chronic exhaustion/physical ailments
Inability to listen/deliberate avoidance
Dissociative moments
Sense of persecution
Guilt
Fear
Anger and cynicism
Inability to emphasize/numbing
Addictions
Grandiosity: an inflated sense of importance related to one’s work
No matter what signs teachers are experiencing from secondary trauma, teachers need support to continue to work in the school environment.
Resource:
Venet, Alex Shevrin. “Support Teacher Wellness.” Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 2021, pp. 131–132.