This article addresses the global burden of psychological trauma caused by both natural disasters and wars. Trauma and traumatic stress exact a human and socio-economic toll that is vast in its magnitude and immense in its consequences. Given the massive prevalence of trauma, this then raises an important pedagogic question: how do you educate and…

After Hurricane María, approximately 3,500 students enrolled in on Florida's school district from Puerto Rico. Displaced Puerto Rican high schoolers incurred the transitional costs of forced migration at a time in their educational trajectories when they are formulating their postsecondary plans. While student mobility is not uncommon, prevailing…

The Tennessee First Five Training Institute (TFFTI) is a workforce development project to build infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) capacity across Tennessee's community mental health agencies. TFFTI focused on foundational trainings in IECMH concepts, training in child-parent psychotherapy, dyadic, trauma treatment for children birth…

This paper proposes that the future is uncertain for many children. Both natural and human-made disasters are adversely affecting the lives of millions of children and their families. An example of an environment-related disaster is cited from Sichuan Province, China, where a massive earthquake killed some 70,000 people in 2008. How the teachers…

Among college students, a correlation exists between trauma exposure and eating disorders. Although disordered eating behaviors are more prevalent than eating disorders, the relationship between different types of trauma exposure and disordered eating is unknown. The current study explored this relationship. One hundred two participants completed…

When expectant mothers are exposed to traumatic events such as natural disasters, their children are at increased risk for developmental and behavioral problems. Many people believe that young children will not be impacted by the traumatic experiences that occur during and following disasters. Therefore, planning for the youngest children at the…

New Zealand has faced an unprecedented series of disaster events in recent years. The Canterbury earthquakes provided an opportunity to document the role that schools played in supporting their communities to respond to and recover from such events. It is important that we capture what we have learnt from these experiences to help other schools in…

The relationship between developmental disorders and humanitarian settings is a complex one: conflict and natural emergencies can contribute to developmental disorders, largely by compromising women's prenatal and perinatal environment and their access to perinatal care (Zuurmond et al. 2016). Children and adults with disabilities often shoulder a…

Sarah DeBacher and Deborah Harris-Moore offer their experiences with teaching in the aftermath of traumatic situations. DeBacher, who taught at the University of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and Harris-Moore, who taught at UC Santa Barbara following a mass shooting, explore the difficulty of teaching writing in the wake of…

Psychological traumas and disturbed emotional landscapes become rich canvases for healing through expressions of individual and collective creativity.

The 2004 tsunami in Aceh resulted in significant post-disaster problems which extended far beyond the loss of possessions and infrastructure destruction. In addition to having to deal with their own problems as a consequence of the tsunami, teachers were faced with the additional problems arising from working with children who had been exposed to…

Although earthquakes themselves do not kill people, they highlight the critical importance of physical infrastructure resilience, safety measures and preparedness for natural disasters. Earthquakes are one of several environmental crises that can be categorized as a natural hazard/disaster. This study uses the qualitative method of research. The…

Children are powerful agents of change when given the chance to succeed. However, due to protracted crises and natural disasters, an estimated 33 million children have been forcibly displaced worldwide and denied their childhoods and an opportunity to reach their full potential. Psychosocial support is key to bridging the learning gap that…

Taking inspiration from Paulo Freire's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed," I propose to work through some of the features of "false generosity" that arise in education and specifically in moments of acute crisis. This inquiry, which begins with (and was sparked by) events following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, continues…

This study documents the vicarious psychological impact of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti on Haitians living in the United States. The role of coping resources--family, religious, and community support--was explored. The results highlight the importance of family and community as coping strategies to manage such trauma.