Unit 1. An introduction to trauma

Main ideas

1. Trauma is as an external or internal event in a person’s life that is of such magnitude that it cannot be managed.
2. Trauma affects a person’s health, safety, and well-being to such an extent that they may develop false and destructive beliefs about themselves and the world around them.
3. The traumatic damage is not measured by the dimension of the event that caused it, but the effects triggered by it that will differ from person to person.
4. In order to keep a person safe from trauma, there are two concepts that should be worked on: recovery and resilience.
5. Young people are not isolated from trauma so their trauma process will impact the places where they make their relationships: Their familiar and school environments.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this Learning Unit, the participants will be able to:

• Present a comprehensive understanding of trauma as a concept and its common effects.
• Recognise the most common trauma triggering experiences, how to cope with them and keep the person safe.
• Consider trauma as a process that may affect the school environment.