Exploring trauma and trauma-informed care with Black special educators and general educators: a qualitative study

The empirical research for trauma-informed care in schools is growing, yet there continues to be little to no research conducted on how trauma and trauma-informed care may differ based on racial and cultural differences. The purpose of this study was to explore how Black educators understand trauma and experience trauma-informed practices in their classrooms. Across four focus groups, 28 Black educators discussed their understanding of trauma and trauma-informed care, current trauma-informed practices, and the supports that they have and need to successfully implement trauma-informed care. To achieve a deeper understanding, general educators and special educators were initially analyzed separately through a critical lens, and then a comparative analysis was conducted to examine similarities and differences across both groups. The implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Special Education

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Richmond, Alexandra

Contributors dc:contributor

• Corr, Catherine
• Milagros Santos, Rosa
• Tan, Kevin
• Boveda, Mildred

• Trauma
• Trauma-informed Care
• Black Educators, Black Special Educators

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Alexandra Richmond

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130104

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F130104