Assessing the Impact of Traumatic Experiences on Academic Achievement and Behavioral Misconduct in School

• In Event: Stress and Coping in Education

Abstract

The present study examined how different types of traumatic experiences impact schooling outcomes for 212 Midwestern adolescents participating in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study. We analyzed the traumatic impact of environmental disasters, abuse, and neglect on academic achievement, truancy, and disciplinary infractions. Results indicated an association between specific traumatic experiences and problematic behavior. For instance, neglected students were more often disciplined for behavioral misconduct than abused students, and these patterns further depended on whether the student minimized or denied their traumatic experience. Our findings suggest that different types of trauma may leave individuals more or less at risk for developing maladaptive behavior patterns in school, and highlight the importance of researching how particular traumatic experiences impact academic success.

Authors

• Harrison Drew Angoff, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Adrienne D. Woods, University of Michigan