Children and young people are not receiving adequate social, emotional, or cognitive support in Australian schools, evidenced by the declining national performance across reading, mathematics, and science since 2000 (OECD, 2023) and the increase in mental health issues among students in Australia (AIHW, 2023). Children and young people exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s) struggle with their developmental milestones, resulting in difficulties in social, emotional, cognitive development, and school outcomes (Perry, 2019).
Educators are required to differentiate the curriculum to meet the needs of their students (https://www.schools.vic.gov.au/differentiation-improve-engagement-and-learning), without the understanding of developmental theories and trauma informed approaches; or having the tools, and strategies, this is a challenge. Hambrick, et al, (2019) acknowledges that ACE’s have an impact on the development of children in the first years of life and indicates that positive relational experiences can buffer negative outcomes for students.
Providing a developmentally informed, trauma aware approach in schools is thought to increase the skills of educators, and meet the social, emotional, and cognitive needs of students with ACE’s (Greenspan, 2010; Macpherson & Phillips, 2021; Cunningham et al, 2019; Whitters, 2020; Perry, 2019; Fraser, et al, 2017). Trauma occurs at different times in students’ lives and depending on the brain's development when this occurs, can determine the interventions required (Perry, 2019; Mason, 2020; Hambrick, 2019). Validated tools measure the targeted developmental requirements of a student, through neuroscientific, attachment-based, and sensory strategies (Perry, 2019; Fraser, 2017; Mason, 2020; https://www.nurtureinternational.co.uk/; https://www.nurtureuk.org).
This research aims to evaluate the outcomes of implementing a developmentally informed, trauma aware approach in Australian schools. The methodology for this research will be a participatory action research model designed to create change and empower teachers and students. Kemmis (2006) states, this research “is a matter of addressing important problems in thought and action, in theory and practice – problems worth addressing in and for our times, in and for our communities, in and for our shared world” (p. 471). The impact of the research will be measured by case studies, interviews, and school-based assessments. Pre and post testing of validated online developmental tools will assess student developmental gaps. The research will include students from primary and secondary schools in Australia. Key stakeholders include students, teachers, families and experts in trauma, developmental theory, and neuroscience. The research is likely to recommend further comprehensive research across schools and the implementation of a developmentally informed, trauma aware approach in schools across Australia.

This PhD thesis explores the lived experiences of adolescent clients in group music therapy and those of music therapists providing services and highlights the need to apply trauma-informed approaches. It focuses on people who have endured or are living through potentially traumatic or stressful events such as resettlement in Australia and the COVID-19 pandemic. The program of research applies a Salutogenic framework and identified factors which promoted health-ease for clients and practitioners. Two separate studies were conducted employing ethnography and narrative interviewing with data analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis respectively.

The first study explored the ways in which six adolescent male students, who had recently entered Australia on refugee visas, participated within a group music therapy program at their school. Various meaning-making opportunities arose through music, music therapy, and inclusive practices which promoted connection to others, self-identity, and culture. The participants had negative experiences such as racism, triggering of traumas, feeling overwhelmed, and cultural disparities. The data also highlighted how important the therapist was to the program and success of a session.

Findings of the first study led to the second study which comprised of interviews at two time points with music therapists living through the stressful and traumatic events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten music therapists were initially interviewed as they adapted to online telehealth services and when they returned to in-person sessions. Connection, flexibility, reflexive practices, gratitude, and identity were crucial supports for the music therapists’ personal health-ease when navigating anxiety, stress, change, and feeling overwhelmed.

The findings suggest necessary therapeutic and personal approaches for music therapists navigating stressful or potentially traumatic events with their service users. Connection, coping resources and strategies, and identity are crucial elements during or following a potentially stressful life event or period and are necessary considerations for both music therapists and their clients.

Introduction: This scoping review aims to comprehensively describe early career teachers' education and experiences in trauma-informed practice. The global prevalence of childhood trauma is on the rise, and its detrimental effects on children's education necessitate that teachers possess the knowledge and skills to support trauma-impacted students through a trauma-informed approach. To enhance our understanding of early career teachers' training and preparedness to engage in trauma-informed practice, it is imperative to synthesize existing evidence concerning their education and experiences with trauma-informed practice.

Inclusion Criteria: This review considered teachers who have obtained a university teaching degree and are presently engaged in teaching school children. Published and grey literature was reviewed if they incorporated trauma-informed practice. Only articles or literature published from 2013 onwards and full-text articles in English were included.

Methods: Following JBI methodology and Arksey and O'Malley's framework, the review adheres to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Keywords and subject headings, identified by the research team and librarians, was used for database searches (e.g., Embase, Psychinfo, MEDLINE, and ERIC). Findings will be presented through a narrative summary, supplemented by tables, figures, and graphs, including the PRISMA-ScR flow diagram, describing and summarising teachers' education and experiences with trauma-informed practice.

Results: The results will identify, analyse and provide comprehensive insights into existing literature on teachers' experiences and education in trauma-informed practice. Barriers and facilitators regarding early career teachers’ training will be presented, along with perspectives on the significance of teacher education. The emergent themes derived from this review will be summarised and are expected to have far-reaching benefits for school children, schools, teachers, and universities.

Conclusion: This review highlights the significance of training and education for teachers to effectively respond to children impacted by trauma. Early career teachers require support and guidance. Evidence suggests that trauma-informed education can mitigate the likelihood of re-traumatisation and ameliorate the adverse outcomes associated with childhood trauma.

Background: This study aims to develop and validate a new instrument to assess schools’ readiness for school-based child sexual abuse prevention education.
Methods: An initial item pool was generated based on a review of existing empirical research and theoretical models. We invited researchers and stakeholders in the field of child sexual abuse prevention as experts to participate in a two-round online Delphi study in which they rated item importance and clarity, contributed their views on superfluous and/or missing items, gave rephrasing suggestions, and re-appraised revised items. Following the Delphi study, the instrument was pilot tested with a convenience sample of school staff. After the main quantitative investigation with Australian school teachers, the scale was validated via Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA).
Results: The initial item pool comprised 80 items in five construct sub-scales congruent with Wiener’s Organizational Readiness for Change theory: contextual factors, informational assessment, change valence, change commitment, and change efficacy. In the Delphi study, 24 experts participated in round 1, and 13 participated in round 2. Based on Delphi study responses, the instrument was reduced to 56 items in the five construct subscales: contextual factors (28 items), informational assessment (13 items), change valence (6 items), change commitment (3 items), and change efficacy (6 items). The Schools’ Readiness for Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education (SR-CSAPE) was successfully pilot tested with school staff (n=19) and minor changes to demographic items were incorporated. Following the main quantitative investigation, EFA was employed to validate the structure of the scale. Four items were removed from contextual factors, while change commitment and change efficacy were combined into one factor “Organizational Readiness for Change”. Overall, the 52-item Schools’ Readiness for Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education (SR-CSAPE) scale with 4 sub-scales (contextual factor, informational assessment, change valence, organizational readiness for change) was developed.
Conclusions: Informed by experts, the Schools’ Readiness for Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education (SR-CSAPE) is a newly-developed 52-item scale that identifies key organizational dimensions to schools’ preparedness for CSA prevention education.
Keywords: Child sexual abuse, Organizational readiness, Scale development

The impact of complex childhood trauma includes physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, severe neglect, and exposure or involvement in family violence. As international awareness of the trauma-informed practice and the importance of the role of the school counsellor grows in supporting students who have lived through complex childhood trauma, it is timely to examine the role of the Javanese school counsellor in this work. This study aims to investigate the role of the high school counsellor in Java-Indonesia in supporting students who have lived through complex trauma by examining the influence of culture on their practice. The research implements an explanatory mixed-method design and uses an online survey and interview for data collection. The participants of this study are school counsellors who work in public high schools and are of Javanese ethnicity in Indonesia.
The first data collection was drawn from a survey with 107 participants. Data analysis results: 37% of the participants have little knowledge of complex trauma and trauma-informed practices, 34% have a fair understanding, 17% have no previous knowledge, 10% are quite informed, and only 2% have an excellent understanding. Data also shows that most of the participants perceived their work in supporting students who have experienced CCT as their priority (n=90, 84.2%), requiring the highest amount of work (n=83, 77.9%), and they mostly value their role in helping the trauma-impacted student (n=88, 82.7%).
Following the survey, interviews with 20 Javanese school counsellors were implemented. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to analyse the interview’s result, and three main themes were found: understanding, perceptions, and roles. An understanding of impacts, causes, and punishment and the misunderstanding of students impacted by complex childhood trauma explained the theme of understanding. The theme of perceptions is explained by the strengths and barriers of Javanese school counsellors in supporting trauma-impacted students. The theme of roles is explained by two sub-themes, including the role they have done and the role they want to do if they can. From this study, we understand that Indonesian school counsellors know that helping students who have experienced CCT is an essential part of their roles. However, they need more support to improve their understanding of complex childhood trauma and trauma-informed practices.