Aruguete, M.S., J.L. (2019). Trauma Exposure and Academic Performance in African American College Students. North American Journal of Psychology Vol. 21 Issue 3 (September 2019). 573-582.
The purpose of the present study is to examine the association between self-reported traumatic experiences, trauma-related psychological symptoms, and academic achievement in African American college students. We administered anonymous surveys to 267 African American undergraduate students measuring traumatic experiences, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, major depressive disorder symptoms, and grade point average (GPA). We examined gender differences in incidence of traumatic experiences using Chi Square. We additionally used a linear regression to examine whether trauma experiences, PTSD symptoms, or depression predicted GPA. All but one participant reported one or more severe traumatic experiences. Women were more likely to report experiencing sexual assault, and men were more likely to report non-sexual traumas (e.g., armed robbery, beating). Men also reported more traumatic experiences in general. Higher incidence of traumatic experiences was associated with lower GPA. Results suggest that a history of traumatic experiences is a significant risk factor for low college achievement, and emphasize the need to provide screening and treatment for trauma exposure in African American students.
Becerra, Eric Daniel. 2021. Success by Design: Activating Hearts, Hands, and Minds to Develop a Male Success Initiative at Long Beach City College. Doctoral Dissertation, Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
Full Text Availability: https://nrs.harvard.edu/URN-3:HUL.INSTREPOS:37370261
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Higher Education has long been positioned as a viable vehicle to economic prosperity and insulating factor against crime and violence among traditionally underserved minoritized populations. However, commonly used school success metrics such as course completion, persistence, and degree attainment demonstrate inequitable success rates among many student subgroups, including men of color (MOC). For this reason, many institutions of higher education (IHE) have enacted targeted support services commonly referred to as male success initiatives (MSI). Due to many confounding factors, the community college is the most common destination for minoritized students in California, with 62% of all Black, and 82% of Black male college students starting their higher education journey at a 2-year institution (Harris & Wood, 2015). This capstone explores the process of developing and piloting an MSI at Long Beach City College grounded in Design Thinking and Dr. J. Luke Wood and Dr. Frank Harris III’s (2014) Five Domains: A Conceptual Model of Black Male Success in Community College. The goal was to enact an initiative that supports MOC success through multiple lenses by providing direct student services while cultivating equity-mindedness and encouraging change in institutional policy and culture. Driving towards equitable outcomes requires will, skill, and action. Working collaboratively to enact high-quality programing and cultivating equity-mindedness among educators must both be explicit goals. By holding the complexity of simultaneously being part of the solution and the problem, we can adopt new mental models and catalyze change to truly impact gaps in MOC student achievement.
Borjian, A. (2018). Academically Successful Latino Undocumented Students in College: Resilience and Civic Engagement. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 40(1), 22–36. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986317754299
This qualitative study focused on academically successful undocumented immigrant college students who also advocate for access to educational opportunities for others. Using purposeful sampling, eight students attending a large university were recruited and interviewed. Findings indicate that academically successful students are eager to obtain economic security and are highly motivated to give back to their communities. Respondents emphasized that pro-immigrant public policy and institutional processes and support are important factors for their development of academic resiliency and success. Findings revealed that although the results of the U.S. presidential election have saddened and angered the respondents, they continue to express their strong commitment to pursue their dreams. Researchers are urged to focus on academically successful undocumented immigrant students in order to learn about the factors that contribute to their academic success. Learning from resilient students can inform educators regarding effective practices that support students who are currently less successful in school.
Edman, J.L., S.B. Watson, D.J. Patron (2015). Trauma and psychological distress among ethnically diverse community college students. Community College Journal of Research and Practice. Vol. 40, Issue 4, 2016. 335-342. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2015.1065211
An association has been found between traumatic experiences and psychological distress; however, the impact of ethnicity on psychological distress is less clear. The present study examined the relationship between traumatic experiences and measures of psychological distress among a multiethnic sample of community college students. A total of 389 male and 848 female students completed a questionnaire that included the Distressing Events Questionnaire (DEQ), the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the Bulimia (BUL), and the Drive for Thinness (DT) subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory. As predicted, Blacks and Latinos reported higher levels of interpersonal trauma than White students. There was a positive association between trauma exposure and symptoms of depression, eating disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and no ethnic differences were observed in depression and PTSD scores among students exposed to interpersonal trauma. The high levels of trauma among Blacks and Latinos should be of concern to academic institutions because trauma is linked to poor academic performance.
Garcia, S.A. (2019). Contesting Trauma and Violence through Indigeneity and a Decolonizing Pedagogy at Rio Hondo Community College. Journal of Latinos and Education, Vol. 20, Issue 4 (2021) 376-396. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2019.1603749
Over a period of nine years (2011–2019), I have had the opportunity to engage with – and to contextualize through a decolonial and mental health lens – the growing threats to and the policing of students at different Southern Californian community colleges. These interactions occurred with a non-White majority of students, mainly Xicanas/os, who were present in these community college classes in large numbers. In this paper, I write about a decolonizing teaching strategy that is both culturally sustaining and revitalizing, and conscious of race. Students of Mesoamerican ancestry, identified by the community colleges as Hispanic, benefit when teachers engage them through an Indigenous lens, affording to such students their rightful place as Native Americans to combat forms of trauma and violence. In addition, I outline the initial observations of the Mesoamerican Figurine Project of Rio Hondo College, where students materialized their own views of the human body and self through clay-work and reflective writing. Using the Borderlands lens and the Coatlicue State – I posit “a teaching archaeology of the human body” that nurtures self-determination and births an Indigeneity grounded in land and cosmology.
Gómez J. M. (2017). Does ethno-cultural betrayal in trauma affect Asian American/Pacific Islander college students’ mental health outcomes? An exploratory study. Journal of American college health : J of ACH, 65(6), 432–436. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2017.1341896
Citation/Abstract Retrieved from National Library of Medicine/PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28617143/
Interpersonal trauma has deleterious effects on mental health, with college students experiencing relatively high rates of lifetime trauma. Asian American/Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have the lowest rate of mental healthcare utilization. According to cultural betrayal trauma theory, societal inequality may impact within-group violence in minority populations, thus having implications for mental health. In the current exploratory study, between-group (interracial) and within-group (ethno-cultural betrayal) trauma and mental health outcomes were examined in AAPI college students.
Participants: Participants (N = 108) were AAPI college students from a predominantly white university. Data collection concluded in December 2015.
Methods: Participants completed online self-report measures.
Results: A multivariate analysis of variance revealed that when controlling for interracial trauma, ethno-cultural betrayal trauma significantly impacted dissociation, hallucinations, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and hypervigilance.
Conclusions: The results have implications for incorporating identity, discrimination, and ethno-cultural betrayal trauma victimization into assessments and case conceptualizations in therapy.
Harrison, Neil, Jacqueline Burke, and Ivan Clarke. “Risky teaching: developing a trauma-informed pedagogy for higher education.” Teaching in Higher Education (2023), Vol. 28, No. 1, 180-194. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1786046
This paper presents the results of a three-year study of the impacts of teaching about the experiences of trauma on students studying to become teachers. The project’s overarching objective is to develop an effective trauma-informed pedagogy that can support students who learn about the experiences of the ‘Stolen Generations’, the Holocaust, wars, and genocide. Following a presentation from a member of the Stolen Generations, students reported strong emotional impacts, indicating heightened arousal and defensive dissociation. Results indicated that effective teaching about the experiences of trauma must be accompanied by management processes that will mitigate the potential detrimental emotional impacts on such learning. We conclude that the reflexive power of narrative can implicate the student in her or his own life, as well as in the lives of others. Of critical importance is a recognition that both Indigenous and non-Indigenous lives are bound to one another in contemporary Australia.
Ingram, L. and B. Wallace. “’It Creates Fear and Divides Us:’ Minority College Students’ Experiences of Stress from Racism, Coping Responses, and Recommendations for Colleges.” Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice. Vol. 12, Issue 1 (2018-2019).
Citation/Abstract Retrieved from UNLV: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/jhdrp/vol12/iss1/6/
Prior research underscored the association between experiences of racism and biopsychosocial outcomes for minority college students, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and negative impacts on physical health. Within the lens of social justice, power is often ascertained by increased wellness and education attainment; therefore, addressing minority college students’ experiences of racism is critical to advancing national efforts to eliminate health disparities and for achieving social equity. Thus, this mixed methods study used an online survey to examine the prevalence of experiences of racism and/or oppression (e.g. sexism) for a convenience sample of undergraduate and graduate minority college students. Quantitative data (n=215) showed that 85.1% (n=183) reported experiences of racism/oppression, while among this group 85.2% (n=156) reported the experience as stressful, and 38.3% (n=70) as traumatic. Qualitative data (n=228) from responses to open-ended questions, revealed: Category I’s 8 emergent themes on “ways of coping/bouncing back/healing from racism/oppression;” and, Category II’s 7 themes for “ways in which the colleges can assist students experiencing stress and trauma.” Collectively, the study findings suggest that experiences of racism and/or oppression are highly prevalent, while students are resilient in coping with stress and trauma; and, students recommend practical strategies for colleges to better support the psychological well-being of minority students. The study findings offer implications for social justice and provide possible strategies for colleges, as well as professionals to use in order to enhance the academic achievement and improve the health outcomes of minority college students.
Munoz, S., D. Vigil, E.M. Jach, M. Rodriguez-Gutierrez. “Unpacking Resilience and Trauma: Examining the “Trump Effect” in Higher Education for Undocumented Latinx College Students.” Association of Mexican American Educators Journal Vol. 12 (13) 2019. 33-52.
Citation/Abstract Retrieved from ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330562942_Unpacking_Resilience_and_Trauma_Examining_the_Trump_Effect_in_Higher_Education_for_Undocumented_Latinx_College_Students
In response to the “Trump Effect”, or the negative climate in education following President Trump’s election, we examine the ways in which anti-immigration rhetoric from the recent election cycle and the elimination of DACA has influenced college experiences and trajectories of undocumented Latinx students. Using critical race theory, along with literature on trauma and resilience, we based our findings on three focus groups with 16 undocumented student participants, and highlight four emergent themes: (1) citizen fragility seemed pervasive and finding hope was deemed as challenging; (2) students experienced an increase of emboldened racist nativism on their college campuses; (3) the exploitation of undocumented student labor; and (4) shared solidarity was beneficial for student resilience. Findings illuminate how colleges and universities need to reconceptualize the notion of resilience by addressing systemic racist nativism in higher education.
Richardson, W., Pitts, C., Reed, S. F., & Kent, J. (2018). Quality of Life of Minority Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Adult Higher Education Alliance.
Link/Abstract Retrieved from Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Quality-of-Life-of-Minority-Students-Impacted-by-Richardson-Pitts/d71b2e1ef9373919bb3fa3fc4138ef6bbe40d45e?
Adults with unresolved Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) present a unique opportunity for universities to support students as they strive toward positive change. As marginalized students seek to improve their lives, they often utilize higher education as their means. Traditionally, this path has not been easy to for students to navigate, nor have institutions been tolerant or sensitive to the challenges they face. All students bring diverse issues, but those of the adult, minority student associated with ACEs, present a greater barrier to academic success. A strengths-based, ACEs-informed system within institutions to help students buffer the often-daunting higher education environment creates a more beneficial educational experience.
Richardson, W., Pitts, C., Reed, S. F., & Kent, J. (2018). “Quality of Life of Minority Students Impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).” Adult Higher Education Alliance.
Link/Abstract Retrieved from Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Quality-of-Life-of-Minority-Students-Impacted-by-Richardson-Pitts/d71b2e1ef9373919bb3fa3fc4138ef6bbe40d45e?
Adults with unresolved Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) present a unique opportunity for universities to support students as they strive toward positive change. As marginalized students seek to improve their lives, they often utilize higher education as their means. Traditionally, this path has not been easy to for students to navigate, nor have institutions been tolerant or sensitive to the challenges they face. All students bring diverse issues, but those of the adult, minority student associated with ACEs, present a greater barrier to academic success. A strengths-based, ACEs-informed system within institutions to help students buffer the often-daunting higher education environment creates a more beneficial educational experience.
Santiago, Andrés Garcia (2021).” Contesting Trauma and Violence through Indigeneity and a Decolonizing Pedagogy at Rio Hondo Community College,” Journal of Latinos and Education, 20:4, 376-396, https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2019.1603749
Over a period of nine years (2011–2019), I have had the opportunity to engage with – and to contextualize through a decolonial and mental health lens – the growing threats to and the policing of students at different Southern Californian community colleges. These interactions occurred with a non-White majority of students, mainly Xicanas/os, who were present in these community college classes in large numbers. In this paper, I write about a decolonizing teaching strategy that is both culturally sustaining and revitalizing, and conscious of race. Students of Mesoamerican ancestry, identified by the community colleges as Hispanic, benefit when teachers engage them through an Indigenous lens, affording to such students their rightful place as Native Americans to combat forms of trauma and violence. In addition, I outline the initial observations of the Mesoamerican Figurine Project of Rio Hondo College, where students materialized their own views of the human body and self through clay-work and reflective writing. Using the Borderlands lens and the Coatlicue State – I posit “a teaching archaeology of the human body” that nurtures self-determination and births an Indigeneity grounded in land and cosmology.
Schwartz, Joni M. (2012). “A New Normal: Young Men of Color, Trauma and Engagement in Learning.” Adult Education Research Conference. https://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2012/papers/41
This phenomenological study examined trauma experienced by young men of color, trauma‘s
effect on engagement in college, and the young men‘s willingness to access counseling. The
theoretical and methodological frameworks are Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Cultural
Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) respectively. The findings from the study presented in this
paper suggest that young men have a lived experience‖ of trauma that they perceive as normal
which impacts their engagement in learning
Sieben, A., Renner, L. M., Lust, K., Vang, W., & Nguyen, R. H. N. (2020). “Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Asian/Pacific Islander Sexual Minority College Students.” Journal of Family Violence, 35(3), 297–303. DOI: 10.1007/s10896-019-00095-7
Link/Abstract Retrieved from Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335821262_Adverse_Childhood_Experiences_Among_AsianPacific_Islander_Sexual_Minority_College_Students
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) remain understudied among people with multiple minority identities. Individuals with multiple minority identities, such as being both a sexual and racial minority, may experience a greater number of ACEs through an intersection of disadvantages. For Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs), this juxtaposes with previously reported lower rates of ACEs compared to most other racial/ethnic groups. We sought to determine whether ACEs differed among API sexual minorities compared to others. In this study, we examined whether ACEs were more frequent among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) API college students compared to majority students. We used data from the 2015 College Student Health Survey to estimate the prevalence of ACEs among respondents and compared ACE prevalence between LGB and heterosexual students by race. LGB students reported a higher mean in overall ACE exposure than heterosexual counterparts, regardless of race (2.8 and 1.8 for LGB API vs. heterosexual API, respectively, p < 0.01). The distribution of specific ACEs differed for APIs versus non-APIs, with some significantly higher, and some lower, for APIs than non-APIs. Our findings revealed that significant disparities in ACEs between LGB and heterosexuals exist among APIs, even in the presence of the altered distribution of ACEs when compared to other races. Continued investigation into the unique ACE exposures of sexual minority APIs is needed to eventually inform prevention practices.
Sieben, A., Renner, L. M., Lust, K., Vang, W., & Nguyen, R. H. N. (2020). Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Asian/Pacific Islander Sexual Minority College Students. Journal of Family Violence, 35(3), 297–303.
Link/Abstract Retrieved from Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335821262_Adverse_Childhood_Experiences_Among_AsianPacific_Islander_Sexual_Minority_College_Students
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) remain understudied among people with multiple minority identities. Individuals with multiple minority identities, such as being both a sexual and racial minority, may experience a greater number of ACEs through an intersection of disadvantages. For Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs), this juxtaposes with previously reported lower rates of ACEs compared to most other racial/ethnic groups. We sought to determine whether ACEs differed among API sexual minorities compared to others. In this study, we examined whether ACEs were more frequent among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) API college students compared to majority students. We used data from the 2015 College Student Health Survey to estimate the prevalence of ACEs among respondents and compared ACE prevalence between LGB and heterosexual students by race. LGB students reported a higher mean in overall ACE exposure than heterosexual counterparts, regardless of race (2.8 and 1.8 for LGB API vs. heterosexual API, respectively, p < 0.01). The distribution of specific ACEs differed for APIs versus non-APIs, with some significantly higher, and some lower, for APIs than non-APIs. Our findings revealed that significant disparities in ACEs between LGB and heterosexuals exist among APIs, even in the presence of the altered distribution of ACEs when compared to other races. Continued investigation into the unique ACE exposures of sexual minority APIs is needed to eventually inform prevention practices.
The Steve Fund and JED Foundation. Equity in Mental Health Framework Pilot Project Implementation Report. February 2021.
Offers expert recommendations for America’s colleges and universities to better support the mental health and emotional well-being of students of color. It was created in partnership by The Steve Fund and JED. It is based on a systematic literature review, a survey of existing evidence-based programs, expert input from mental health and higher education leaders, and a survey of more than 1,000 students.
Link to Report: https://equityinmentalhealth.org/the-equity-in-mental-health-pilot-project-report/
Link to Framework: https://equityinmentalhealth.org/framework/
Van Thompson, Carlyle; Schwartz, Paul J. “A New Normal: Young Men of Color, Trauma, and Engagement in Learning.” New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, n144 Winter 2014 p49-58.
Citation/Abstract from ERIC: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1048719
This chapter will center on the continuing impact of systemic and persistent educational trauma experienced by Black and Latino males and how trauma affects their current learning. The young men’s counterstories from a phenomenological study and documentary are included.
Whitehead, Melvin A. “Where Are My People At?” A Community Cultural Wealth Analysis of How Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Community College Students Access Community and Support.” Community College Journal of Research and Practice 43: 10-11, 730-742. Doi: 10.1080/10668926.2019.1600611.
Citation/Abstract Retrieved from ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332529685_Where_are_My_People_At_A_Community_Cultural_Wealth_Analysis_of_How_Lesbian_Gay_and_Bisexual_Community_College_Students_of_Color_Access_Community_and_Support
Previous studies about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and similarly-identified (LGBTQ+) college students have overwhelmingly centered White students and students attending four-year institutions. However, the literature suggests that community colleges – which tend to enroll higher percentages of students from minoritized racial and ethnic groups – may provide fewer LGBTQ+-specific resources to students than four-year institutions. Using community cultural wealth as a conceptual framework, this case study explored the experiences of lesbian, gay, and bisexual Students of Color attending a community college in accessing community and support. Specifically, I sought to understand how these experiences connected to participants‘ use of cultural capital. For this study, I conducted interviews with seven self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual Students of Color. Data analysis was guided by attention to the forms of cultural capital participants used in accessing community and support. Findings from the study describe how participants used social capital and navigational capital to access community, support, and needed resources. I conclude with specific recommendations for community college practices.
Williams, M.T., Printz, D.M.B., & DeLapp, R.C.T. (2018). “Assessing Racial Trauma with the Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale.” Psychology of Violence, 8(6), 735-747. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio000212
Citation/Abstract Retrieved from APA PsycNet: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-48184-001
Objective: Racial discrimination can cause symptoms of trauma, yet few tools for measurement exist. African Americans have higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder and experience more racial discrimination than other groups. This study is a preliminary assessment of the psychometric properties of the Trauma Symptoms of Discrimination Scale (TSDS), a new measure of discriminatory distress measuring anxiety-related trauma symptoms. Method: African American monoracial and biracial undergraduate students (n = 123) completed questionnaires, including the TSDS, the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure, assessments of racial discrimination, and a range of psychopathology measures. The TSDS factor structure was determined with a principal components analysis and internal consistency was assessed. Pearson’s correlations were conducted between the TSDS and measures of discrimination and psychopathology. Linear regression was used to predict the TSDS from frequency of discrimination. Results: Item loadings suggested 4 components: (a) uncontrollable hyperarousal, (b) feelings of alienation, (c) worries about future negative events, and (d) perceiving others as dangerous. All measures of discrimination significantly predicted symptoms of trauma, even when accounting for prior traumatic experiences. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence supports the validity of the TSDS for the measurement of anxiety-related trauma symptoms due to racial discrimination. All forms of discrimination may contribute to traumatization in African Americans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)