Spatial Experiences of College Student Survivors of Trauma

• In Event: Shedding a Light on Trauma and Well-Being for College Students

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological (Vagle, 2014; van Manen, 2016) study was to explore the spatial dimensions inherent in the experiences of college students who have endured trauma. Specifically, I sought to unearth the ways in which an individual’s traumatic encounter travels through campus environments and what this means for survivors’ lived experiences. The following research questions guided the current phenomenological investigation: 1) What is it like to be an undergraduate student who is a survivor of trauma while in college? 2) What are survivors’ experiences of lived space in the college environment after trauma?

Author

• Tricia Shalka, University of Rochester