Addressing Exposure to Community Violence in Youth: Understanding Teacher and Support Staff Capacity to Implement School-Based Interventions
Start Date
2023 2:15 PM
Location
Alter Hall Poster Session 1 - 3rd floor
Abstract
Childhood exposure to community violence (ECV) can cause lasting effects on youth development, behavior, and life trajectories. Community violence is a type of violence that happens outside of the home or family setting, including but not limited to, experiencing or witnessing shootings/gun violence, fights, threats of harm and more. The impacts of these exposures subsequently effect the way students show up to school, interact with peers, and perform academically. Schools have the possibility to be an important resource and protective factor when addressing the negative impacts of ECV. However, the research lacks evidence around school-based interventions and the role of schools in preventing and addressing ECV. Teacher and support staff experience, readiness and emotional capacity could be an important factor in determining future interventions. In this study, teachers and support staff at Riverview East Academy were surveyed to assess their professional quality of life and to determine their capacity for implementing new interventions and programs for students, using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) survey from the Center for Victims of Torture. The ProQOL survey scores professionals working in helping fields in the areas of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatization. From these scores, this study hopes to evaluate the correlation between these categories and its possible connections to the readiness and willingness of teachers to implement new interventions around ECV. Results will be presented.
Addressing Exposure to Community Violence in Youth: Understanding Teacher and Support Staff Capacity to Implement School-Based Interventions
Alter Hall Poster Session 1 - 3rd floor
Childhood exposure to community violence (ECV) can cause lasting effects on youth development, behavior, and life trajectories. Community violence is a type of violence that happens outside of the home or family setting, including but not limited to, experiencing or witnessing shootings/gun violence, fights, threats of harm and more. The impacts of these exposures subsequently effect the way students show up to school, interact with peers, and perform academically. Schools have the possibility to be an important resource and protective factor when addressing the negative impacts of ECV. However, the research lacks evidence around school-based interventions and the role of schools in preventing and addressing ECV. Teacher and support staff experience, readiness and emotional capacity could be an important factor in determining future interventions. In this study, teachers and support staff at Riverview East Academy were surveyed to assess their professional quality of life and to determine their capacity for implementing new interventions and programs for students, using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) survey from the Center for Victims of Torture. The ProQOL survey scores professionals working in helping fields in the areas of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatization. From these scores, this study hopes to evaluate the correlation between these categories and its possible connections to the readiness and willingness of teachers to implement new interventions around ECV. Results will be presented.
