Ongoing violence like the north city shooting that injured an 11-year-old boy Wednesday night prompted St. Louis Public Schools to launch trauma training.
The goal is to help the growing number of children impacted by the city's murders and poverty. Nearly 3,000 district staff members were trained on how to recognize a child emotionally traumatized by poverty, being homeless or violence.
Megan Marietta, SLPS Social Work Services Manager, says there have been an uptick in the number of children identified as emotionally traumatized. She says teachers were relieved to receive training to identify why a child might be withdrawn from class or less inclined to participate in school activities.
Marietta says teachers must take care of themselves so that that can be emotionally prepared to help troubled students. She says students can have difficulty regulating their emotions if they experienced something traumatizing, like a crime scene.
If a child acts out in class, Marietta encourages teachers to ask students “what happened?” as opposed to, “what’s wrong with you?”
Teachers are also encouraged to consult staff about questionable behavior, if they think something might be wrong. 5 on Your Side spoke with several parents who said they were grateful for the training.
SLPS partnered with Children's Advocacy of Greater St. Louis, BJC and Alive and Well to continue trauma training throughout the school year.
