Everything must be done to ensure that the person experiencing trauma feels safe – this is the first step to recovery.

This does not only mean no-one is actually hurting them, it means that the adults in their lives acknowledge the hurt they have suffered, nurture them in appropriate ways, contain their difficult behaviors, and most importantly, keep them in their minds. To be happy, we all need to know that there is someone who cares about us and thinks about us, thinks about what we are doing, and how we are feeling. This is the basis of security. (Downey, 2007, p. 7)

“The most important aspect of a safe classroom is for the student to feel comfortable in the environment and to trust the teacher” (Solar, 2011, p. 43). “The classroom is an extension of the teacher. If the room feels safe and open, then the students may feel safer with the teacher and risk being open and honest in the school environment “(p. 43).

How can abuse and neglect impair academic performance? Take a look at this visual: