Young adults, movies, and trauma: Educating pre-service teachers about trauma informed practices
Abstract: It is becoming more important for future teachers to be aware of trauma informed practices to support students. There is the potential for youth to be psychologically impacted by the movies they watch in the classroom and at home. In this paper we explored the link between trauma and youth movies and trauma informed practices in the classroom. We found that movies, especially those geared towards youth, can cause trauma reactions, impacting a student’s wellbeing and performance. Key to addressing this issue is educating future teachers about the risks of media and trauma, as well as trauma informed care. Pre-service teacher programs should include curriculum related to media and trauma and trauma practices. This knowledge early in their careers can help future teachers develop a trauma informed lens and effective practices to support all students.