Opinion |

As trauma surges, so does need for trauma-informed communications

Soon, the onslaught of “year in review” assessments will begin. We’ll see lists of the best (and worst) movies, the best books and the best music, to name a few. We already have a word of the year, according to Merriam-Webster: “authentic,” which was looked up more often than most of the dictionary’s 500,000 entries.

Given that artificial intelligence has been in our faces all year long, it’s no wonder Americans are searching for authenticity — or at least, what the word means.

At the National Conflict Resolution Center, we aren’t in the habit of year-end list making or word naming. But organizations are turning to us (as never before) in search of trauma-informed communication training to better work with and serve their clients. Trauma, it seems, is as prevalent as authenticity is scarce.

The word “trauma” is aptly used a lot these days. Many of us have been profoundly affected by the continuing war in Israel and Gaza. We feel the undercurrent of polarization and tension on college campuses, at workplaces, and in communities across the country. And we read about incidents of hate — directed at people on both sides of the conflict — on a daily basis.

But trauma is more deeply rooted. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) says that trauma “results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically harmful or life threatening.” Trauma can have a lasting impact on a person’s mental, physical, social, emotional and/or spiritual well-being.

The prevalence of trauma in society today is troubling. According to SAMHSA, there are numerous causes, including physical, sexual or emotional abuse (experienced or observed); childhood neglect; serious accidents, illnesses or injuries; or having a family member with mental health or substance use problems. Trauma has also been linked to external factors, such as poverty, systemic discrimination and natural disasters.

One tool that is used to assess trauma is the ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Quiz, which looks specifically at traumatic events that occur in childhood (before age 18). The quiz has 10 questions in three categories: abuse, neglect and household dysfunction.

About two-thirds of adults reported they had experienced at least one type of ACE, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; nearly 1 in 6 reported experiencing four or more. ACEs can have lasting, negative effects on a person’s physical and mental wellbeing and stunt opportunities — like education and employment — well into adulthood. They can cause behavioral challenges, making it difficult to manage stress and emotions or form healthy relationships.

Most of us don’t know our own ACE score, nor would we ever think to ask another person for theirs. But there are other ways to recognize that a person has experienced trauma. They might seem detached or numb, doing their best to avoid interactions or even eye contact. They might have difficulty concentrating. Or they might be irritable and prone to outbursts. Trauma is unique, including its presentation.

We are wired as humans to have a bias toward neurotypical people, who speak and act in a “regular” or “normal” way. It means we need to be more mindful — trauma-informed — when we interact with neurodivergent people, whose brains function differently. (Trauma is one, but not the only cause, of neurodivergency).

In trauma-informed communications, the focus shifts from asking, “what’s wrong with you” to asking, “what happened to you?” Other tenets of sound communication hold: for example, the use of active listening skills to identify the person’s underlying needs and drivers of their behavior; and responding respectfully, to demonstrate understanding and acknowledge the impact of what happened and their feelings about it. All of this contributes to creating the safe environment that is necessary for a trusting relationship to begin.

A trauma-informed communicator will also have de-escalation skills. While anyone has the potential to get angry and confrontational, trauma can lead to physiological changes that increase the likelihood that emotions will be triggered and a situation will get out of hand.

While we want to consider the unique needs of someone who has experienced trauma, it’s important not to think of them as victims. There are people with high ACE scores who do remarkably well in life, rising from what psychologist and author Dr. Glenn Schiraldi has called “the ashes of childhood brutality.” Through caring relationships, they learn to take a long view of suffering, unwilling to trade the lessons gained.

If there was a list of the most admired personal characteristics, that resilience would have to be at the top.

Dinkin is president of the National Conflict Resolution Center, a San Diego-based group working to create solutions to challenging issues, including intolerance and incivility. To learn about NCRC’s programming, visit ncrconline.com.