I chose to summarize “AT Risk: Trauma and Academic Failure” written by Crosson-Tower (2017). The author describes how trauma affects children and how toxic stress can damage a child’s brain plus lead to developmental, physiological, and educational impairments. She mentions that dropout rates have been dropping since the 70’s except for special education children, low economic status children plus the minority. She also mentions those children are at more risk for undergoing trauma incidents in youth along with the introduction to violence plus being abused emotionally, sexually and physically. The quote I chose is “The research on disruptions in the functional and anatomical development of the brain as a result to trauma make the problem seem …show more content…
I think knowing how low income, children with learning disabilities and minorities are more likely to have trauma and academic failures are surely important for social workers (SW) to understand. The information I read gave me a better perspective of why at risk and trauma experienced children struggle in school and have high numbers of dropouts. It was very satisfying to learn that with proper and evidence based interventions the kids can overcome such effects of trauma. I most definitely agree with the authors finding of the effects of trauma experienced children. My cousin had three boys that she let stay with their grandmother (the grandfather was on drugs, father in and out of jail) because she could not keep them, the boys were introduced to drugs, violence, and several moves. The oldest at the age of seven was fighting with his grandmother who had a heart attack and died right in front of him and his brothers. My mother got temporally custody of them until she could no longer take care of all three of them at once. She ended up with the oldest; he was her husband’s child we later found out he had an affair with my cousin (yes, a long story we didn’t find out until they had all three of the boys). The other two ended up in a foster home after foster home, on is still in a foster home the other is in a mental institute. All three of the boys have learning disabilities and have IEP’s as discussed in the chapter. My cousin and stepfather were addicted drugs and alcohol; she sure did not stop all of her habits during her pregnancy. I was able to recently use the information I learned from reading this chapter. My friend best friend is going through a nasty and toxic divorce, her and her children are very depressed and stressed. Her son was