Trauma-Responsive Educational Practices in a Museum

• In Event: Informal Science Institutions and Equity: Taking This Moment to Act With Justice

Abstract

Objectives: Museums are often considered places to escape from life stressors, not as sources of stress. But trauma has a home in museums just as it does in other spheres of life. For guests, the trauma may lie in the context of the visit or what they bring with them from their everyday lives. Staff can develop trauma through daily interaction with triggering content and those in large museums may become overwhelmed by the chronic stress of managing numerous interpersonal interactions or those running longer-term programming can experience secondary trauma through interaction with traumatized guests. During the COVID19 pandemic, trauma also developed from a chronic sense of loss of workplace safety due to fears of virus exposure and job insecurity. This is a case study about how one museum educated itself about the presence and impact of trauma using a framework developed by the Trauma Responsive Educational Practices (TREP) Project.

Perspectives: The TREP Project was founded by (redacted) at (redacted). It focuses on building the capacity of educators to compassionately understand where youth are coming from and meeting them where they are. Because traumatized children often exhibit dysregulated behaviors, adult reactions often become focused on discipline and behavior control, and result in exclusion from instruction. This scenario happens just as commonly in museum settings as in schools. Children may be asked to leave a field trip experience or theater show when perceived as disruptive and defiant. Staff may ignore their questions and close exhibit spaces early to avoid working with youth displaying behavior that makes that staff member uncomfortable (Dawson, 2014). The TREP framework is based on scientific research in education, psychology, human development, and neurobiology.

Methods: Staff training was done online and consisted of four self-paced modules developed by the TREP Project. The average staff time spent on the training was 11 hours.

Data Sources: An evaluation survey was distributed to museum staff (N = 79).
Results: Staff found the framework to be relevant and useful, but need support adapting it to the unique environment of museums. Some reported that the training triggered memories of personal trauma and exhaustion about thinking about trauma. What “trauma” means to them evolved from formal to operationalized definitions based on whether staff took the training or not. Most of the suggested interventions require more sustained engagement with guests than are possible at museums; therefore, the Museum is working on a version of the training that focuses on informal learning environments. It has also implemented more support for staff well-being.

Significance: Overall, TREP changed how the museum thinks about trauma. It evolved from an issue primarily considered as being outside of the museum's walls to one that impacts everything we do. We learned ways to identify and respond to signs of trauma and to think about trauma as more than an emotional reaction but also deeply rooted in human biology. Being trauma informed is an invitation. By accepting the invitation we are now adapting our staff and guest supports to put it into practice.

Authors

• C. Aaron Price, Museum of Science and Industry - Chicago

• Micere Keels, University of Chicago