By Howie Knoff, SmartBrief, August 31, 2020
Throughout this pandemic, the American public has sometimes had to choose between science and beliefs, between objective data and personal testimonials. And while the medical, social, economic and educational toll from the COVID-19 virus is unprecedented, some of the effects have been politicized by our leaders, and sensationalized by the press. Sadly, the latter has occurred when discussing the emotional status of our students as districts prepare for their re-entry (in one form or another) this new school year.
A specific concern here are the many stories -- both in the popular press and from the professional community -- discussing the significant numbers of “traumatized” students who will be returning to school. To be sure, many students may experience trauma -- for example, because they have lost a loved one to the virus. But trauma is not something that automatically occurs when a parent, grandparent or sibling dies. Moreover, from a clinician’s perspective, assuming that trauma exists without objectively and empirically validating its presence, and then treating the presumed trauma, may actually make a separate emotional condition worse.
In this “if it bleeds, it leads” 24-hour news world, fueled by social media, we need to remember (a) what trauma really is; (b) that students have more issues related to anxiety, fear, and stress than trauma; and (c) that schools should begin the new year from a strengths-based perspective, relative to students’ social, emotional and behavioral standing, rather than a pathology-oriented deficit perspective.
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