"Resilience Through Relationships": Exposure to Community Violence and Healing in Schools During COVID-19 and E-Learning

• In Event: We Are Not OK: Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Existing research provides limited insight into the features of schools that may serve as protective factors for youth who live in communities with high levels of violence, especially under unprecedented circumstances such as e-learning and COVID-19. This paper draws on data from a mixed-method study in Chicago to examine how schools respond to the needs of students who are exposed to high levels of trauma. Quantitative analyses reveal a range of school climate characteristics that support students’ engagement and academic achievement. Findings from virtual interviews at four public high schools suggest that individual “developmental” relationships with adults in schools -- educators, support staff, and community partners -- play a central role in sustaining organized efforts to meet the developmental needs of youth.

Authors

• David Orta, The University of Chicago

• David Wilson Johnson, University of Chicago

• Rebecca Hinze-Pifer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Samantha Guz, The University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice