I am doing field experience for a Masters course at an alternative school. I am working in the intensive reading classroom with 6th-8th grade middle school students. The school serves children from fourth grade through age 21. More than half of the students are in the school because they have been permanently expelled from their designated school. Most of the remaining students are temporarily expelled from their designated school.
What I have a discovered after six hours in the classroom is that every student has most likely suffered several adverse childhood experiences. I have discovered that most of the staff have no knowledge of ACEs. Even though they realize some children have "bad home lives" they really don't know anything about those home lives. For instance, the teacher I am working with told me that during a disciplinary hearing a student told the hearing board that his father had sexually molested him so he had to fight another student because of the threat that student made. This shocked and saddened the staff. But somehow there's no consciousness that the reason most of the children are disruptive and have been expelled is because they most likely have had a lot of bad things happen to them. The behavior management system is atrocious ...primarily it is in school or out of school suspension. Having said all that, these teachers seem to have an affection and dedication to their students. I feel confident that I can present information to the administration and teachers about ACEs. That might result in the teachers thinking first what happened to you instead of what's wrong with you. I don't have a lot of hope that it will change the school discipline practices.
My question is, is it harmful to middle school age children to inform them about ACEs? In my short time, I already know that several of the students have really bad experiences with stepparents, with abandonment, with family violence and with abuse and neglect. In the three weeks I've been there, 6 of 13 students in the classroom have been suspended including one student who set the bathroom on fire. Today, I presented Dr. Dan Siegel's hand model brain demonstration to three boys. We talked briefly about telomere shortening from trauma and stress from the bad things that happen to a person. We talked about how those people suffer a lot of sickness when they grow up and often die earlier. The three boys immediately identified themselves as people who would die early. Then we talked about how our brain heals and when our brain heals it helps heal our body. We talked about how healing the mind. We talked about doing mind hygiene every day. Then we did a short mindfulness exercise. I didn't open Pandora's box. When one of the boys or the other indicated some hint of abuse or neglect, I did not ask them any questions or delve into their personal story. I'm not there to be their therapist and I'm not qualified to be their therapist. However I'm there to be the teacher and we can't get to the lessons and I know why.
So what should I do? I would love to hear your take.
Thanks.
Donna
