Vicarious Trauma in Special Education Teachers

Special education attrition is a major concern that continues to grow and has led to a shortage of special education teachers. There are increasing numbers of students diagnosed with disabilities and learning differences who require special education services (Anderson, 2020) The outcomes for these students are less promising than those of their general education peers. This group of students is at a higher risk of experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which are stressful and traumatic experiences faced during one’s childhood. Special education teachers are, therefore, at an increased likelihood of being exposed to trauma in their day-to-day experiences as educators. In working with these students who have higher rates of trauma, special education teachers are more prone to experiencing vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma is the physical and emotional effects that occur when working with individuals who have directly experienced trauma. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to: intrusive thoughts, avoidance, and more, and can impact one’s daily functioning.

Through an action research design, the researchers developed an online survey with closed and open-ended as well as Likert scale questions to determine the presence and impact of vicarious open-ended as well as Likert scale questions to determine the presence and impact of vicarious trauma on special education teachers and their experiences with students who have ACEs. The researchers also determined perceived support already in place for this group as well as what they would find helpful in understanding and managing vicarious trauma. This research demonstrates that special education teachers work extensively with children who have ACEs and feel the impact of vicarious trauma.

After analyzing the survey results and interpreting the data, the researchers developed a professional development workshop to help special education teachers understand the meaning of vicarious trauma, the risk to them as educators of vulnerable populations, and ways in which they can help to prevent, reduce, and/or manage symptoms of vicarious trauma. The workshop provides psychoeducation regarding vicarious trauma, the risk to participants as special education teachers, and strategies that can help them such as coping mechanisms and support networks. While this product would ideally be used as part of onboarding for special education teachers, the lack of present options in this area makes it a useful workshop for current special education teachers as well. The hope is that this workshop will help reduce the level of stress related to teacher exposure to vicarious trauma due to educating students who experience ACEs. The goal is to increase their likelihood of remaining content in the field of education.