Balancing Physical Security with Emotional Safety in Schools

Over the past five years, mental health in pre-K-8 school communities has reached crisis levels, with alarming trends underscoring the escalating needs of students. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey from the Centers for Disease Control, more than 40 percent of students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Much of this plays itself out in schools in the form of unsafe and dangerous, at times deadly, behaviors.

Yet, despite this troubling information, schools are increasingly adopting preventive measures, trauma-responsive practices, and comprehensive initiatives to create safer, more supportive environments for both students and staff.

Current State of Pre-K-8 Schools and National Safety Protocols

National safety protocols in pre-K-8 schools have begun to increase an emphasis on physical security measures, such as controlled access to buildings, surveillance systems, elevated security presence, emergency response plans, and active assailant or active shooter drills. One concern is that while these measures address external threats, they often overlook the emotional and psychological needs of students who have experienced trauma, as well as school staff who are then working trauma adjacent to it.

Current protocols are primarily designed to prevent crises but might inadvertently increase stress or retraumatize vulnerable students, particularly during high-stakes drills or heightened security measures. This creates a need for integrating trauma-responsive and trauma-informed approaches into school safety policies to better support all students, especially those with a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

A National Center for Education Statistics study reported that 95 percent of U.S. schools conduct shelter and lockdown drills, but experts argue that these exercises can exacerbate anxiety and fear among already vulnerable populations. Trauma-responsive strategies, such as training staff in psychological first aid and implementing restorative practices, provide a critical complement to physical safety measures by addressing the holistic needs of students, ensuring both their physical and emotional security are prioritized. 

Defining Trauma

Trauma is defined as “an individual’s experience of, and response to, an adverse event in the form of intense reactions that include fear, helplessness, and loss of control,” as noted in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma: Implications For Schools by Nanmathi Manian.

Bessel Van der Kolk, author of the 2014 seminal work on trauma The Body Keeps the Score, defines trauma as “an inescapably stressful event that overwhelms people’s existing coping mechanisms. It is stress so extreme that you can’t return to baseline. Trauma results in a change in how we perceive danger and leaves us stuck in a state of helplessness and terror.”

Trauma-responsive and trauma-informed approaches foster trust and empowerment. When applied to school safety, these approaches enhance the ability to maintain order and security while minimizing harm, ensuring that all students feel physically and emotionally secure.

Trauma’s Impact on Pre-K-8 Students

Trauma encompasses a wide range of experiences for children, including abuse, neglect, community violence, loss of a loved one, and exposure to systemic inequities like racism or poverty. National statistics identified in Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma: Implications For Schoolsreveal that “of children aged 0–17 years, where ACEs were defined in terms of household dysfunction, 34 million children—nearly half of all U.S. children—have experienced at least one ACE, with percentages of children affected in individual states ranging from 38.1 percent to 55.9 percent.” This means, approximately one in three students has experienced at least one ACE in your school, and many have faced multiple.

Trauma affects students in profound ways:

• Behavior: Students may exhibit aggression, defiance, withdrawal, or hypervigilance, often misunderstood as misconduct. They are telling us something with these actions; Paul Watzlawick’s work on communication noted that all behavior is some form of communication, emphasizing an understanding on the underlying causes of behavior rather than focusing solely on the behavior itself. 
• Learning: Trauma disrupts brain development, impairing memory, focus, and problem-solving skills, which are critical for academic success.
• Relationships: Trust becomes challenging, leading to strained interactions with peers and adults. Students experiencing trauma often have a compromised sense of trusting others.
• Perceptions of Safety: Students who have experienced trauma, especially those who have not had an opportunity to work through or resolve parts of that trauma, have a heightened response mechanism to danger, being easily triggered, which can lead to feelings of insecurity even in schools where so many adults are working to keep children safe.

To create truly safe schools, it’s essential to understand and address how trauma influences these perceptions. Trauma-responsive practices address students’ immediate needs: prioritizing their feelings of safety, building trusting relationships, validating their emotional experiences, and helping them feel seen and supported throughout their daily experiences. For instance, a trauma-responsive school might provide a quiet space for students to regulate emotions after a stressful event or train staff to use de-escalation techniques during conflicts.

Trauma-informed care or trauma responsive practice are proactive, focusing on understanding how trauma shapes behavior and ensuring that school policies and procedures are sensitive to these impacts. This might include rethinking disciplinary measures, promoting restorative justice, or tailoring classroom management to minimize re-traumatization.

Consider these recommendations in supporting student and staff safety in the school:

1. Trauma-Responsive Approaches to Emergency Drills: Traditional safety drills, such as active assailant simulations, can be overwhelming for students. Trauma-responsive strategies might include preparing students with age-appropriate explanations, offering alternative participation methods for those with heightened anxiety, and debriefing sessions with communities and students to address fears and provide emotional support.
2. Increased Professional Development for School Staff: Auditing your school’s current practices is critical to determine what you need. Collaborate with school leadership, school counselors, and other mental health partners in the work of creating and implementing ongoing, actionable training for staff to understand and implement trauma responsive teaching practices in all school spaces.
3. Creating Safe Environments for Traumatized Students: Design calming, inclusive spaces with sensory tools, and options for alternate ways to demonstrate learning. Establish predictable routines to reduce anxiety in students who demonstrate heightened response systems, including mindfulness practices, and providing clear, consistent communication during emergencies.
4. Importance of Peer Support and Mental Health Resources: This work is nuanced and difficult, and no one approach will fit every student. Peer support and mentor programs empower students to help each other navigate challenges, reducing isolation, stigma, and provide multiple safe spaces and safe faces to connect with in times of stress. Access to onsite mental health professionals ensures students receive timely, critical care. 

Integrating trauma-responsive and trauma-informed approaches into school safety protocols offers a comprehensive framework that prioritizes the wellbeing of students and staff. By addressing the impact of trauma on behavior, learning, and relationships, schools can create environments that are not only physically safe but also emotionally supportive. As schools strive to protect students, understanding and mitigating the effects of trauma becomes essential to fostering resilience, equity, and success for all learners.

Matthew J. Bowerman is a school administrator with over 28 years in education and author of Heartleader: A Trauma Responsive Approach to Teaching, Leading, and Building Community.