Conceptualising and Implementing Trauma-informed Practice in Higher Education

The phrase ‘trauma-informed practice’ is widely used, with the requirement to be trauma-informed across all aspects of education generally recognised. Although the call for a trauma-informed approach is more recent in the higher education sector compared with other areas of education, this call has been present for several decades and continues to increase. The potential outcomes of trauma-informed practice in relation to inclusion and equity are well documented, but what it means to be trauma-informed, particularly in the higher education context, is rarely explored. How this state can be achieved, and the positive impact this way of being can have on communities both within and external to the higher education institution, are less frequently discussed. This chapter seeks to respond to this shortfall and considers how learning to be trauma-informed might be approached from various perspectives in higher education. Here, the authors will briefly set the scene for why being trauma-informed is necessary, explore perceptions of trauma and trauma-informed practice, and how the concept of being trauma-informed, both as individuals and as organisations, might be progressed with a view to effecting longer-term social change. Using examples from practice and research, this chapter will share ways in which systemic change can be achieved by focussing on the individuals that encompass the system. Three examples will be presented: design, development, and evaluation of a trauma-informed practice curriculum, partnering with higher education students in research in trauma-informed practice, and developing trauma-responsive pedagogies in higher education, including thoughts on a trauma-responsive approach to research.