Childhood Trauma and Academic Functioning: The Indirect Effect of Social Support

Research has demonstrated a clear connection between childhood trauma and later life difficulties, including difficulties in academic functioning. Social support may explain the connection between childhood trauma and academic functioning, but research is greatly lacking in this area. We recruited a racially and ethnically diverse sample of 380 students in 9th-12th grade (45.8% male) from a school in the southeastern United States. We collected cross-sectional data using self-report surveys to assess childhood trauma experiences, social support, and academic functioning. Results demonstrated a statistically significant negative association between childhood trauma exposure and academic achievement. Furthermore, results showed that there was a statistically significant indirect effect of social support, indicating that social support explains some of the association between childhood trauma and academic functioning. Implications for theory, clinical practice, and future research are covered.