Trauma in Our Most Vulnerable Children

The "school-to-prison pipeline" refers to the trajectory of young people who have spent time in more than one state or federal system, potentially ending in the criminal justice system.

These young people are referred to as multisystem youth and are one of the nation’s most vulnerable populations. They are overwhelmingly the most misunderstood, dehumanized, miscategorized group. Additionally, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and LGBTQ youth are more likely than other groups to suffer adverse treatment due to overt discrimination and systemic racism.

Attorney and children’s advocate Kate Lowenstein, JD, MSW, spoke to the Lesley Institute for Trauma Sensitivity (LIFTS) about how the trajectory might be bent in a more positive way. She saw that children and young adults passing through various systems—such as welfare, foster care, and the justice system—“needed a good attorney and a good social worker, but those two professions really were not communicating.”

Lowenstein made her educational and professional focus a combination of these two worlds. She believes that as this coordination becomes more prevalent, constituents who work with this population can “begin this understanding of the intersectional experience of children, the intersection of our systems, and also how we interact with each other in order to help children.”

Getting into the system

What happens to children in the juvenile justice system prior to their arrests?

The Citizens for Juvenile Justice, a nonprofit organization working to improve the juvenile justice system in Massachusetts, collected data to answer this question. They found that of the dual status youth in the juvenile justice system—primarily male children of color—the Department of Children and Families had been involved in their lives by the time they were five years old. National data indicated these youth were removed from their homes and placed into foster care by age 12–15. These adverse childhood experiences compound and more likely lead youth on a path toward issues in school and with the legal system.

For a graphic representation of the obstacles that multisystem youth could face, see the iThrive Games Juvenile Justice System Project, featuring the board games Klout and The Run Around, developed in part by youth in detention.

The Impact of Systemic Racism 

How does systemic racism play into this narrative?

Statistics show that 82% of children pulled from their homes were Latinx. Black and multi-racial youth were also disproportionately taken from their homes; neglect tends to be conflated with poverty.

LGTBQ youth who experience abuse are seven times more likely to end up in foster care than heterosexual youth. Children who are both LGTBQ and of color are disproportionately found in the system. Racism, anti-LGBTQ bias, abuse, neglect, and family rejection significantly impact children’s intersecting identities. As Lowenstein says, “It would be difficult to find more vulnerable children among us.”

Most children in foster care remain there for one to four years. Foster care alumni can suffer from complex developmental trauma, and one in four reports having post traumatic stress disorder—a higher rate than Vietnam or Iraq war veterans.

Trauma presents itself differently throughout the stages of development. The data suggest professionals are missing early signs of trauma in children connected to behavioral issues, while simultaneously punishing adolescents instead of identifying and treating previous trauma.

Schools and multisystem youth

How can educators help?

Educators and schools play a vital role in the lives of all children, but particularly in children with intersectional identities. School can be a place of familiarity and stability among the discord of foster care placements and the legal system. In Massachusetts, dually involved youth, as a disaggregated group, score at least two years behind on their grade level learning, and nationally they are two times more likely to be absent, suspended, or have dropped out.

Teachers are vital to the health and welfare of multisystem youth. Schools can become safe, supportive, and trauma-sensitive by increasing professional supports, resources, and tools to support all students. Lowenstein concludes schools need concerned and caring adults along with culturally competent behavioral health supports in place to end the school-to-prison pipeline.

Learn more about trauma and learning at Lesley University

The Lesley Institute for Trauma Sensitivity offers professional development and resources for educators who are interested in understanding the impact of trauma on learning and the ways schools can develop trauma-sensitive, safe, and supportive learning environments.