Traumatized Students Need More Support in Return to School

When I was a teenager, returning to school in the fall was one of my favorite times of year. Sure, I loved the wide-open expanses of summer, but I was most excited about returning to a daily routine with my friends, the crisp smell of school supplies, the sheen of new school shoes, and, most importantly, the excitement of new teachers and subjects to learn, bending our brains into unventured territories.

But for some students, going back to school is fraught with anxiety and dread. That is especially true of children who suffer from traumatic stress, such as the girls I work with at Tharros Place, a nonprofit providing residential services for girls ages 12 to 17 who are survivors of human trafficking. Such children have been exposed to one or more traumas over the course of their lives and develop reactions that persist and affect their daily lives after the events have ended.

To read the full op-ed in Savannah Morning News, click here.