Research

Below we provide links to some of the research that has played a particularly important role in informing TLPI’s work.

 

TLPI Final Report_Full Report (002) (2)Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative (TLPI): Trauma-Sensitive Schools Descriptive Study Final Report

The purpose of this study is to understand and describe how five demonstration schools in Massachusetts implemented the Inquiry Based Process (IBP) to create trauma-sensitive, safe and supportive learning environments. Major outcomes observed include positive changes in school climate as evidenced by reports of fewer crises, schools feeling “safer” and “calmer,” decreased office referrals and disciplinary incidents, increased staff communication and cohesion (e.g. more consistent implementation of school-wide expectations), improved staff and student relationships, and more parent communication and engagement. In addition, the IBP empowered teachers and helped to build shared ownership for school climate and culture change, produced shifts in mindset that led to changes in practice, and over time appeared to become embedded in the culture of the school

 

ACE Study

Ace Pyramid: The Adverse Childhood Experiences StudyThe Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study was conducted by the Kaiser Permanente health plan in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 17,000 adults completed a questionnaire that asked questions about seven categories of adverse experience in childhood: psychological, physical, or sexual abuse; witnessing violence against a mother; and household dysfunction, including living with household members who were substance abusers, mentally ill or suicidal, or who had been imprisoned. More than half of those who responded reported at least one adverse childhood experience and one-fourth of those who responded reported two or more adverse childhood experiences. The study found a strong relationship “between the breadth of exposure to abuse or household dysfunction during childhood and multiple risk factors for several of the leading causes of death in adults.” The study has produced numerous publications in scientific journals; linked below are two that have particularly influenced our work.

PDF-downloadRelationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, Vincent J. Felitti, Robert F. Anda, et al. (1998)

PDF-downloadThe enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood: A convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology, Robert F. Anda, Vincent J. Felitti, et al. (2006)

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study Information Site

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – ACE Study