Students who have been victims of psychological, physical, or emotional trauma need to be approached with certain expectations in mind. Howard Bath’s three pillars of trauma-informed care provides a comprehensive high-level overview of key areas of focus that we will make frequent reference to:

1. Safety: Victims of trauma experienced heightened anxiety and “develop a pervasive mistrust of the adults with whom they interact” (Bath, 2008, p. 19). They become “adult wary,” employing a range of strategies to keep adults at bay” (Bath, 2008, p. 19).
2. Connections: The absence of safety weakens the commitment of traumatized students to develop meaningful relationships with others (Bath, 2008).
3. Managing Emotions: “It stands to reason that a primary focus of work with traumatised children needs to be on teaching and supporting them to learn new ways of effectively managing their emotions and impulses” (Bath, 2008, p. 20).