Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Volume 44 Issue 11 Article 6

2019

Teachers’ Experiences in Responding to Students’ Exposure to

Domestic Violence
Samantha Davies
Monash University

Emily Berger
Monash University

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Recommended Citation
Davies, S., & Berger, E. (2019). Teachers’ Experiences in Responding to Students’ Exposure to Domestic
Violence. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44(11). https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2019v44.n11.6

This Journal Article is posted at Research Online.

https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol44/iss11/6
Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Teachers’ Experiences in Responding to Students’ Exposure to Domestic

Violence

Samantha Davies
Emily Berger
Monash University

Abstract: Exposure to domestic violence in childhood can have long-

term negative impacts on the social and emotional functioning and
educational outcomes of children and adolescents. This study is the
first known Australian research to examine teachers’ experiences of
supporting students exposed to domestic violence. Interviews with
eleven primary and secondary school teachers revealed the
substantial impact of students’ domestic violence exposure on
teachers, the need for support from other school staff, and the benefits
of targeted professional development. Results suggest that there is a
need for teacher training in relation to supporting students with
exposure to domestic violence, better recognition of the impacts of
students’ exposure to domestic violence on teachers, changes to the
way information is communicated with teachers, and improved
protocols and policies to support teachers. Outcomes of this study can
be used to inform future training and supports for teachers.

Key words: domestic violence, trauma, children, teachers, schools, qualitative

Teachers’ Experiences in Responding to Students’ Exposure to Domestic Violence

Childhood abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence and parental mental illness,
death of a caregiver, experiences of disasters and war, and other traumatic events of
childhood are significantly correlated with negative outcomes in childhood and lasting
through to adulthood (Boullier & Blair, 2018; Plumb, Bush, & Kersevich, 2016). Repeated
experiencing of childhood traumas has been shown to adversely affect the long-term physical
and functional development of the brain (Anda et al., 2006; Boullier & Blair, 2018),
increasing the risk of childhood mental ill-health, behavioural issues, learning disorders,
social difficulties, physical health issues, risky coping behaviours, and the dysregulation and
exacerbation of stress response hormones (Anda et al., 2006; Balistreri & Alvira-Hammond,
2016; Burke, Hellman, Scott, Weems, & Carrion, 2011; De Bellis & Zisk, 2014; Hughes et
al., 2017; Kliethermes, Schacht, & Drewry, 2014; Plumb et al., 2016).
Given that most children attend formal schooling, schools would appear to be a
potentially valuable source of support and intervention for children exposed to traumas such
as domestic violence (Livny & Katz, 2018; Mazzer & Rickwood, 2015). It has been
suggested that schools may provide a protective environment to buffer against the relative
dysfunctions associated with domestic violence at home (Byrne & Taylor, 2007). There is
developing international awareness of the benefits of systemic and structured support for
those who have experienced repeated traumas, known as trauma informed practice (Howard,
2018). In schools, these are policies and frameworks that ensure that all staff understand,

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recognise and respond to the impacts that trauma may have on students’ well-being and
behaviour. Trauma-informed practices include the promotion of positive and respectful
relationships, the development of self-regulation skills, fostering of students’ self-efficacy
and the use of positive reinforcement (Chafouleas, Johnson, Overstreet, & Santos, 2016).
Berger’s (2019) systematic review of studies internationally, found that the implementation
of trauma-informed care in schools lead to improvements in the behaviour and academic
achievement levels of students, reductions in mental health concerns such as depression and
PTSD, and greater staff confidence and knowledge. Research has also demonstrated
improvements to teachers’ feelings of efficacy in responding to traumatised students when
implementing trauma-informed practices in their classrooms (Brunzell, Stokes, & Waters,
2019).
Despite growing evidence for the efficacy of trauma-informed schools, it is unclear
whether teachers are well-prepared to identify and support children with trauma backgrounds.
Teachers in the Netherlands have reported being under-prepared to manage and respond to
traumatised students, with trauma-informed training and support for teachers’ well-being
identified as needs (Alisic, 2012). Teachers in Australia have identified the considerable
impacts of domestic violence exposure on their students’ behaviour and academic
performance. However, they have also reported a lack of confidence in dealing with these
students (Graham, Phelps, Maddison, & Fitzgerald, 2011). Costigan (2016) found that while
pre-service teachers would also like to be more prepared to respond to trauma and domestic
violence exposure among students, they reported not being adequately prepared to identify,
manage and support these students. In the Republic of Ireland, domestic violence-affected
students have reported a need for teachers to reach out to them more, and their tendency to
disengage when teachers did not have the time to support them (Buckley, Holt, & Whelan,
2007).
Associated with teachers becoming disengaged from the issues of domestic violence
exposed students, recent research has found higher rates of teacher absenteeism and impacts
on emotional well-being in an Australian school exposed to a disaster event (Berger, Carroll,
Maybery, & Harrison, 2018). School staff responding to traumatised students have discussed
feeling “unsafe, overwhelmed, under-appreciated”, “helpless” and “not equipped to work
with these students”, leading to job dissatisfaction and impacts on well-being (Howard, 2018,
p. 14). Teachers require more training to identify children at risk, and understand their roles
and responsibilities around mandatory reporting and notifying authorities about a student’s
exposure to violence in the home (Falkiner, Thomson, & Day, 2017; Kenny, 2001, 2004;
Martin, Cromer, & Freyd, 2010). In addition, early evaluations of school-based programs
targeting domestic violence have found that it can trigger student disclosures of violence, yet
school staff are inadequately trained or prepared for this (Ollis, 2014; State of Victoria,
2016).
This qualitative study aimed to explore teachers’ experiences of responding to
children who have been exposed to domestic violence, using a semi-structured interview
approach. The study examined ways in which teachers have responded to affected students,
the availability of domestic violence-related resources and supports, the barriers to
responding effectively to students, impacts on teacher well-being, and any relevant training
undertaken by teachers. Teachers’ interviews were sampled to answer research questions
around the unique training pathways of teachers, experiences managing students’ needs in
conjunction with their teaching roles in classrooms, and the competing demands on their time
and resources. Results of this study will increase awareness around the impacts on teachers
who support students exposed to domestic violence, and may lead to improvements in the
focus and delivery of teacher resources and training. In turn, this may ultimately lead to

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improvements in teacher and student well-being, with better learning outcomes for students,
and higher levels of teacher satisfaction.

Method
Participants

This study used data obtained for a research project focussing on school staff and their
experiences of students’ exposure to domestic violence. This project recruited 11 primary and
secondary school teachers in Victoria, Australia. Overall, 10 females and one male
participated in the study and they ranged in age from 24 to 53 years (M = 39.7, SD = 10.1).
Teaching experience ranged from two to 31 years (M = 13.3, SD = 9.0). There were seven
primary school teachers (students aged between approximately 5 and 12 years), and four
secondary school teachers (students aged between approximately 12 and 18 years). Data
collection occurred in late 2018.

Materials

Qualitative interviews were conducted, exploring teachers’ experiences in responding

to students who have been exposed to domestic violence. The interview schedule was
developed within a semi-structured interview framework and to address the aims and research
questions of this research. Open-ended questions related to how teachers have responded to
these students, domestic violence-related resources and supports available to teachers,
barriers to responding effectively to students, and any training undertaken in this area. The
following questions represent the initial open questions asked of participants, followed by
probing questions (not listed here) which varied and were asked based on the responses of
participants. Initial open questions included:
• Tell me about your experiences with regard to students and domestic violence, if any?
• What are some of the barriers/what more could be done in schools when responding
to students who have experienced domestic violence, if anything?
• Tell me about whether your school has a protocol/referral sources with regard to
students and domestic violence?
• Can you describe your understanding of trauma-informed practices in schools, if any?
• How do you talk to colleagues/who do you go to for help regarding the topic of
students and domestic violence, if at all?
• What can you tell me about your experience of parents or families who may have
experienced domestic violence, if any?
• Tell me about any training that you have undertaken/would like to undertake
regarding students and domestic violence, if any?

Procedure

Approval was obtained from the Monash University Human Research Ethical
Committee (project number 7983), the Victorian Department of Education and Training, the
Catholic Education Office of Melbourne, and school principals. School principals who
consented for their school to participate shared a weblink with staff at their school. Staff were
invited to complete an online questionnaire about their experiences and training needs
regarding student trauma and domestic violence. After completion of the questionnaire,

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school staff were invited to consent to participate in an interview. Semi-structured interviews

were conducted over the phone with those who consented to an interview, with duration
ranging from 40 to 60 minutes. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed by a
professional transcription company, with completed transcripts sent to participants for
member checking. Participants were given two weeks to review and provide any feedback or
additional information on their transcript. No participant responded with amendments or
feedback.

Data Analysis

The semi-structured qualitative interviews were analysed using a thematic analysis

approach, which allowed for exploration of teachers’ experiences in an area of research that
has not yet been well explored. As this is an emerging and largely atheoretical area of
research, the aim of this study was to replicate previous international studies on teachers’
experiences with students exposed to trauma (Alisic, 2012; Alisic, Bus, Dulack, Pennings, &
Splinter, 2012). Similar to this earlier research, the study design for this research was
exploratory. The exploratory and atheoretical nature of this research made it appropriate for
thematic analysis (Clarke & Braun, 2013). The thematic analysis approach involved multiple
read-throughs of transcripts, mind-mapping interview data, and an iterative process to
identity, refine and name themes and subthemes (Clarke & Braun, 2013). The final set of
themes and subthemes were developed collaboratively by the authors of this research.
Twenty percent of the transcripts were then analysed by an independent researcher. A
meeting between the independent researcher and authors of this paper revealed no additional
themes that had not already been identified and included.

Results

The main themes that emerged from analysis of the experiences of teachers, were: (1)
Impacts of domestic violence exposure; (2) Resources for teachers; (3) Limitations to
supporting students; and (4) Future needs for teachers. Within these themes, a further
fourteen sub-themes emerged, and are elaborated further below. Quotes have been provided
within each subtheme, along with the gender and age of the quoted participants (listed as F
for female and M for male).

Impacts of Domestic Violence Exposure

Teachers discussed the considerable impacts that domestic violence has, with the
following subthemes emerging: (a) Impacts on students; (b) Impacts on teachers; and (c)
Impacts on families and communities.

Impacts on Students

Teachers described a range of impacts on students, with behaviours including: anxiety,

withdrawal, self-soothing behaviours, agitation and aggressive outbursts; difficulties
concentrating and learning; generally lower academic achievement and engagement;
difficulties developing healthy peer relationships; a lack of trust; low self-esteem; inability to
problem-solve; and a fear of failure. For example: ‘Most of them tend to be doing poorly at

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school… [believing] they're stupid and they're useless’ (F39); ‘Very distracted in class…
they’ve got so much racing through their mind (F29)’; and ‘Very quiet, will hardly make eye
contact, but… if something goes wrong, so he gets very, very aggressive’ (F48). Even getting
to school was an achievement for some students: ‘They don’t have that same support level at
home… they have to get themselves and their three siblings to school’ (F42).

Impacts on Teachers

The impacts on teachers related to managing classroom behaviours and self-regulation in

students; modifying the curriculum or teaching; liaising with families, well-being teams or
external agencies; or supplying food and clothing: ‘We’d sort of give them some time out…
try some meditation or they’d have fidget toys or do you need to go and sit in a bean bag’
(F53); ‘I’d often have to modify the planning for them or shorten tasks if they were
traumatised’ (F50); ‘Every week there was always something, court cases, there was always
intervention orders, attempted kidnapping cases… it's pretty fully on’ (F42); and ‘Everyday
I’d pack an extra apple in my lunch box because he sometimes he wouldn’t have food’ (F32).
Teachers spoke of feeling helpless or hopeless, with limits to their feelings of
efficacy: ‘I kind of feel hopeless too, like what can I do?’ (F42); and ‘The whole system is
heartbreaking… you can’t help feeling despair’ (F53). There were impacts on their mental
and physical health. For example: ‘It took about six months to… not be having it really,
really drag me down and just, and not… fantasise about adopting all these kids’ (F53); and
‘The first 6 weeks I didn’t sleep... I would go home from school a mess’ (F42). Despite the
difficulties there were also rewards: ‘I like working at the school because we work really hard
to support families and students and to be really a voice for the kids’ (F53); and ‘That’s the
rewarding side of it, that you're having such a big impact on these children’ (F42).

Impacts on Families and Communities

Teachers noted the intergenerational cycle of domestic violence: ‘The parents are often
trauma themselves, they're just generational problems… It's very sad’ (F42). They also
discussed the silence and shame, and the difficulties families face in coping with domestic
violence: ‘We’ve also seen like the families that just often just won't say anything... a lot of
shame is involved’ (F27); and ‘They’re completely defeated and they feel that they have a
complete lack of control’ (F48).
Finally, teachers spoke about domestic violence in respect to the community, within
which few supports were available to families: ‘Being in a small community, they can sort of
be cut off pretty quickly’ (F29); and ‘I think people turn a blind eye’ (F42).

Resources for Teachers

Teachers discussed utilising a variety of personal and structural supports within the
following themes: (a) Policies and Procedures; (b) School-wide supports and programs; (c)
Support of colleagues and well-being team; (d) Targeted professional development; and (e)
External agencies.

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Policies and Procedures

Teachers varied in their understanding of school protocols for domestic violence, yet felt
supported to follow-up their concerns with their leadership and/or well-being team: ‘I’d
probably just turn to … our Welfare AP [Assistant Principal]’ (M39); ‘There are certainly
policies in place that assist us when dealing with those sorts of situations’ (F29); and ‘Lots of
policies, lots of procedures on just every aspect’ (F42). Only one teacher felt that in her
school, the reporting process was not well-managed: ‘It was rubbish… the assistant principal
didn’t have the right skills basically’ (F53).
Teachers were also certain of their roles as mandatory reporters, as uncomfortable as
it may be: ‘I mean with mandatory reporting I have to… just that sort of conversation I think
would be awkward’ (F39); and ‘So we’d have a discussion… I would have to go to the
principal as well so you don’t just willy-nilly go off and report’ (F53).

School-Wide Supports and Programs

Teachers were positive when discussing a variety of school-wide programs and supports for
students: ‘We try and do what we can here… we run a Respectful Relationship program...
more of that kind of program needs to be done’ (F50); and ‘We have a homework club
program… it’s a nice excuse not to have to go straight home after school’ (F48). Extending
program information to parents was also helpful: ‘Opening more conversations at home, I
think has sort of shifted the way parents are sort of realising that it is affecting their children’
(F29). Only one participant expressed a negative opinion of programs, describing a specific
program as fake, yet acknowledging the need for such programs: ‘We've just done this thing
called Respectful Relationships… it's kind of fake… I guess it's trying to start working on
this stuff’ (F42).
Importantly, one teacher noted that when implementing a new program, extra support
had to be made available: ‘It was just raising issues for students that you didn’t even know
had experienced anything and they rushed out’ (F32). In schools without a socio-emotional
curriculum, teachers expressed a need for such programs: ‘Anything really that can help them
identify an unsafe situation and a safe situation and how to deal with those things
appropriately would be helpful’ (F27).
Understanding of trauma informed practice also varied, for example: ‘I've never really
heard of the terminology’ (F42); but those teachers with experience of trauma informed
practice were very supportive: ‘It can affect kids in so many different ways and so you kind
of need to have a basic understanding of that [trauma informed practice]’ (F53); and ‘I think
it [trauma informed practice] needs at the base level from teacher education … I think having
a worker at the school… really helps staff maintain an understanding’ (F50).

Support of Colleagues and Well-Being Team

Teachers discussed the importance of receiving and providing support for one another: ‘We
feel pretty comfortable in the way that we support each other, because we know that our
principal, our leadership, certainly has our back’ (F29); and ‘We debriefed regularly, like
every Friday pretty much, we all just collapsed together… you’ve got to have that self-care’
(F42). However sometimes teachers did not feel their support needs were well-managed: ‘I’d
like to be given more time to cope’ (F50); and ‘It was highly, highly stressful on everyone…
we couldn’t always support each other’ (F53).

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Another vital support was the guidance provided by the well-being team: ‘They would
provide the support in every aspect for the teacher and the student’ (F53); and ‘Well-being
staff do a great job of informing of us not who necessarily but just giving us context to our
students’ experience… here’s some things that might help’ (F32). Well-being teams also
supported staff in debriefing, and disconnecting from students’ experiences: ‘You needed
somewhere to put it and share… quite frightening information that you just didn’t know what
to do with’ (F32); and ‘Head of Well-being... I did talk to him a lot about trying to create a
disconnection… you do have to put up a barrier around yourself otherwise you’d, I think I
would burn out’ (F32).

Targeted Professional Development

Teachers spoke positively of professional development training: ‘I wish I had done it years
ago… it’s an extremely important thing to be trained on… if they [students] are not regulated
they are not ready to learn’ (F53); ‘It’s more prevalent than I realised’ (F29); and ‘We also
need to have that [trauma-informed practice] as a background, because it certainly is
something that’s affected us in dealing with parent dynamics, as well as students’ (F29). The
one teacher who did not feel the extra training had changed her practice noted that this was a
result of her previous experience: ‘It didn’t really change what I already knew’ (F50).
With the one exception as above, teachers who had undertaken targeted professional
development reported tangible benefits. Among those teachers without any specific domestic
violence training, there was a range of opinions. For example: ‘As a professional, you always
want to improve, so I would happily be exposed to more information’ (M39); ‘I don’t know if
any extra information can change what the outcome is’ (F48); and ‘I don’t feel like I need
much more… I do have the resource of the counsellor’ (F39).

External Agencies

Referring families to external agencies for support and intervention was generally identified
as a role for well-being teams, and teachers had varying amounts of experience, for example:
‘The well-being person, she would organise that… that was sort of not under my job
description’ (F53); and ‘We’re fortunate in that we have really good connections with our
local services, they often reach out to us to let us know of programs’ (F29). Overall it was
apparent that teachers valued the role of external agencies as a support option for their
students, with the exception of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS): ‘We
may help with phone calls to the Department of Human Services… and we know… the child
is in the same … space again’ (F50).

Limitations to Supporting Students

There were a number of perceiveed barriers to the support teachers could provide to
students, with limitations relating to the following subthemes: (a) Preparedness for students’
experiences; (b) Privacy and confidentiality; (c) Teachers’ roles; (d) Families and agencies.

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Preparedness for Students’ Experiences

exposed to domestic violence, for multiple reasons

Teachers felt unprepared to support students
including a lack of training and experience: ‘In my teacher training I can’t remember
anything, doing anything’ (F53); ‘[I felt] extremely unexperienced, I had not much idea apart
from personal experience’ (M39); and ‘The other teachers all handled it – they just had the
experience… I was just so not prepared’ (F42).
Teachers also reflected on finding it difficult to identify students who had been
exposed to domestic violence: ‘You know statistically there’d be kids in every school, but I
don’t think teachers… they wouldn't know how to identify it … which is quite scary’ (F42).
Behaviour monitoring was often the only indicator of distress: ‘You’re constantly monitoring
their behaviour and trying to analyse why there’s been a change... And so that’s a really
tricky kind of thing to try and work out’ (F53).
Teachers felt unprepared to respond to student disclosures: ‘I haven't ever had a
student come up to me and “Can I confide in you”… I'm not 100% sure how I would deal’
(F39); ‘I was just full of anxiety about saying the wrong thing, doing the wrong thing... a lot
of the time I felt so far out of my depth. Can I actually help?’ (F32). Student disclosures also
tended to only happen in the context of established caring relationships: ‘It’s all about
relationships… every now and again a kid will gravitate towards a particular teacher and tell
them’ (F32).
Overall, confidence responding to student disclosures and supporting students really
only came from previous work or life experience: ‘Reasonably, because my previous role in
human services was actually dealing with families that had…trauma or incidence of family
and domestic violence’ (F29); and ‘I suppose I didn’t feel unconfident, I suppose because I’m
older and I’ve got my own kids’ (F53).

Privacy and Confidentiality

Teachers reported finding it challenging when student information was withheld from
them: ‘I wasn’t really privy to much information to start with, which I found very difficult’
(M39); and ‘You might find out later and ugh well I had have known that that makes perfect
sense now, but you just weren’t allowed to know’ (F53). In contrast however, there were
teachers who felt the communication provided met their needs: ‘They don’t necessarily tell
me everything… they just give me the most important information that’s going to affect
teaching and learning’ (F50).
In some instances, rights to privacy were negated when there were risk issues, ‘It
could put our life in danger if we didn’t know about a kid from another grade whose father
had attempted to kidnap… we needed to know about that so we could be prepared’ (F42).
There was a range of communication practices across schools, potentially impacting
on teacher well-being: ‘I don’t [talk to colleagues] because we’re not allowed to’ (F48); ‘I
will just go privately to a colleague to talk about it, and get their feedback’ (F24); and ‘We
debriefed regularly… you just feel so much more supported when you know that others have
got your back and they're checking in on you’ (F42).

Teachers’ Roles

Teachers sometimes struggled with containing their roles: ‘You just want to save them… I
just want to protect them and look after them but it’s, it’s not my role. What I’m meant to be
doing is upskilling them’ (F32). When boundaries became unavoidably blurred, this was

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difficult: ‘I think that Child Services had been called to the house as a result of my call and
that affected… my relationship with this boy’s sister… she just didn’t want to speak to me’
(F53).
Teachers discussed needing to reframe their expectations or scope of their roles in
order to feel more effective: ‘Sometimes just having a child in your classroom, just attending
school was a win… once I took that on board, I felt a lot better because I kind of felt like we
were just getting nowhere’ (F53); and ‘The only thing I can do in my job is to make sure that
we can provide a safe place at school because what’s going on at home is out of our control’
(F48). Even teaching was difficult at times though: ‘Teachers are at school to teach children
an academic outcome… to be able to actually teach these kids is a miracle’ (F42).
Teachers discussed needing to have multiple roles when supporting domestic violence
exposed students: ‘Us teachers are their safety people. So that’s the rewarding side of it, that
you're having such a big impact’ (F42); and ‘You’re also building their capacity to cope with
all of the stuff that happens as part of their day to day’ (F32). In this context, teachers still
appeared comfortable leaving primary responsibility for well-being to others. For example: ‘I
look at my job as mostly academic… I do my best for the pastoral care of the students, but I
do feel very comfortable in passing particularly tricky problems up’ (F39).

Families and Agencies

Teachers reported some difficulty engaging with families of domestic violence: ‘The biggest
problem is the communication between the parents and the school is quite low… they just
don’t want to come to the school’ (F42); and ‘Some parents are very open to help and some
parents try to hide it and they’re denying that things are happening… [they] just avoid
coming to see the teacher’ (F50). It was noted that domestic violence is often surrounded by
silence and lies: ‘I just wish that his carers had been a lot more open with the school to let us
know more about his situation’ (M39); and ‘Domestic violence is surrounded by a whole lot
of lies’ (F48).
Assisting families to engage with supports could also prove difficult: ‘Some are really
good, some will just not do it’ (F27); and ‘It's just so hard… it's kind of sad. How can you
help people that don’t want to be helped?’ (F42). There were also difficulties supporting
families while performing dual roles: ‘It's horrible that they're confiding stuff… and then they
get angry because we've reported it’ (F42); and ‘We sort of become a bit of a mediator, and
that… can sometimes distract from the actual goal of making that student feel safe and
supported at school’ (F29).
There were limitations to any change teachers could effect for students, through
services: ‘You’re getting a child on track, the interventions are in place, all of a sudden
there’s been a huge blowout… and the cycle happens again… there’s not a lot of satisfaction’
(F48); and ‘It's a little bit hard to get a lot of the resources that we might need’ (F27).

Future Needs for Teachers

Alongside the limitations that teachers experience, were suggestions of future needs to
address some of these difficulties, summarised by two subthemes: (a) Protocols; and (b)
Future Training.

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Protocols

Teachers described wanting better protocols and guidelines around their responsibilities: ‘I
would hate for someone to slip through the cracks… some clarity around yeah are you over-
stepping the mark or is that something you’d be responsible for’ (F32). They also discussed
the need for clearer protocols in relation to difficult situations: ‘We don’t have a strong
protocol about that, about an angry parent arrives… we don’t have anything’ (F48).
A further identified need was to improve the way information is communicated
within-schools: ‘The only issue is sometimes information doesn’t get passed on… as
effectively as it could’ (F39); and ‘I’d like to … know whether they were being helped once
they handballed it higher up the chain of responsibility’ (F50). Communication with external
agencies was another area identified: ‘We don’t have a protocol, which I think we should, for
that to come back into the classroom… if a neighbour’s called or the police have called and
that’s gone straight to well-being, me, as a leading teacher, won’t be looped in’ (F48).

Future Training Needs

Teachers suggested areas of additional training, such as: identifying domestic violence;
having people available to advise on how to manage different situations; more regular contact
with services; further targeted training sessions; and regular, ongoing training to maintain a
knowledge base. For example: ‘Identification is an issue if there are signs,’ (F39); ‘The more
you can open up the discussion the more, yeah the more equipped you are to deal with it’
(F32); and ‘I’ve got prior experience and I’ve had some professional development too. But I
feel like it’s sort of never enough… it’s something that should always be a part of the
conversation in schools, and… more regular contact with services’ (F29). Professional
development opportunities that are delivered in person, was also generally preferred over
online modules: ‘People don’t learn just by reading, they learn by actually understanding and
being part of it’ (F42).
Despite the above, there were teachers who expressed doubts about the utility of more
training: ‘Teachers are expected to deal with such a wide variety of different circumstances…
I don’t know that extra training would necessarily improve my ability to deal with it’ (F39).

Discussion

This study explored teachers’ experiences in relation to supporting students who have
been exposed to domestic violence, including available supports, barriers to effectively
responding, training undertaken and teachers’ perceived needs. Teachers discussed the
significant impacts of domestic violence exposure on students, families and themselves. They
described a range of resources and supports that assist them when responding to students,
such as targeted professional development, the support of colleagues and collegial debriefing,
and school-wide programs, with varied effectiveness. Finally, they discussed limitations to
their support of students and had suggestions for further training, improved communications,
better role-definition, and improved school protocols. These findings are discussed in more
detail.
Teachers disclosed substantial impacts on their welfare, with reduced feelings of
efficacy and experiences of helplessness and emotional distress in response to students
exposed to domestic violence. They discussed the value of talking to colleagues and more
experienced senior staff for emotional support and practical strategies in managing student

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distress, and for guidance and advice regarding supporting students exposed to domestic
violence. Despite the difficulties, teachers also acknowledged that providing a sense of safety
for their students, supporting students and their families, and helping to build a student’s
capacity to cope with their traumatic experiences, were all rewarding aspects of their jobs. An
important consideration for this research is that role ambiguity, role stress and role conflict
have been associated with greater burnout among teachers (Graham et al., 2011). Findings of
the current study show that teachers are at times dissatisfied with school mental health
programs and feel burdened by the lack of policies addressing the roles of staff in relation to
recognising, responding to, and supporting students impacted by domestic violence.
Teachers who had been trained in trauma-informed practice discussed the importance
of understanding the impacts of trauma and receiving training in how best to support
traumatised students. However, teachers felt more could be done to implement and support
the establishment of socio-emotional and trauma-informed programs in schools, which aligns
with the growing research and policy interest in such programs. It is clear that as interest in
trauma-informed approaches grows in schools, more needs to be done to understand the
baseline and continued knowledge and skills challenges for staff involved in these programs.
Prior research evaluating mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect among teachers has
shown that training needs to be in place and continually evaluated for the effects of such
training to be shown and felt among teachers (Falkiner et al., 2017).
Teachers also acknowledged that their university programs or pre-employment
training lacked any education in relation to trauma or domestic violence. Many suggested that
this should be included in future workforce training programs so as to improve teachers’
preparedness, their ability to identify affected students, and increase the effectiveness of
teachers’ responses and support for students. Currently it is not known how much education
early career teachers receive in this area and other areas of childhood trauma. The teachers
who expressed any confidence in dealing with student disclosures of domestic violence, and
in supporting students’ challenging behaviours, acknowledged that it was only their previous
work, training or life experience, or having the opportunity to consult with other and more
senior staff, that enabled this perceived efficacy. This has implications for practicing but also
pre-service educators who are likely to require significant support from colleagues in this
area. Evident from this research and earlier research is that access to supportive and
knowledgeable colleagues varies across schools.
In addition, teachers suggested that limited feedback and communication with
colleagues impacted their ability to support and teach students exposed to domestic violence
effectively, with corresponding feelings of reduced efficacy. Trauma informed practices are
clear in proposing that teachers need to understand a child and their experiences in order to
best support that student (Downey, 2007). Berger’s (2019) multi-tiered and systematic
approach to teacher training, consultation between teachers and school well-being teams, and
engagement between school well-being teams and external agencies could address some of
the training and communication issues raised by teachers in this study. This model recognises
the different roles and areas of expertise of staff in schools and acknowledges that while
teachers desire training to address domestic violence and child abuse, additional tiers of
support for students, staff consultation and referral sources (such as access to school mental
health staff and school crisis teams) are required in schools.

Implications

Results of this study suggest that more could be done to improve teacher training in relation
to student exposure to domestic violence. This is particularly in light of the increasing

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emphasis for trauma informed practices to be implemented in schools and the increased
likelihood that students will disclose experiences of family violence to trusted teachers. There
is a need to better prepare teachers for the likelihood of providing support to domestic
violence exposed students, along with training around how best to provide such support, as
well as policies and training outlining the role of teachers in relation to responding to this
issue in schools. Teachers need to receive this training earlier in their careers or within their
pre-service training, as well as receiving ongoing consultation and support in relation to the
identification of domestic violence exposure. They need to understand how to respond to and
manage these students, how to safely and respectfully communicate with colleagues and
parents around this issue, how to create boundaries around the role of teachers and the
teacher-student relationship following disclosures, and how to access appropriate support and
referral options for students and their families. The need to protect teachers from the impacts
of secondary trauma is also evident, and better strategies to address teacher well-being are
required. Suggestions include greater acknowledgment of the potential impact on teachers’
emotional health and well-being, better promotion of informal debriefing and counselling,
and training in self-care strategies.

Limitations

This study was a broad examination of teachers’ experiences of supporting students with
domestic violence exposure, providing new insights in an emerging area of research. Being
broad in scope, this study was unable to examine more deeply the specific aspects of this
experience and future studies should explore each of the identified themes in more detail. The
study focussed narrowly on the experiences of primary and secondary school teachers,
strengthening the applicability of the findings to the experiences of teachers, but weakening
the ability to more broadly correlate the results to the experiences of other school staff. Future
work to come out of this research project will assist to fill this gap by examining the
experiences of principals and school counsellors to better understand the impact of students’
exposure to domestic violence on school-wide systems. Replication of this research with pre-
service teachers is also warranted given the link between teacher experience and confidence
when responding to domestic violence exposure in schools. In addition, as school principals
self-selected for their school to be involved in the project, it is possible that this study sample
was also biased towards schools that were more trauma informed and trauma aware than
other schools. As the literature in this area develops, larger quantitative studies could be
carried out to depict the wider support needs, training experiences and overall burden of
domestic violence exposure in students on teachers and school staff. However, while
quantitative research is needed, this research supports the findings of earlier research and
underlines the specific training and resource needs of educators regarding students’
experiences of domestic violence.

Conclusion

This study provided an understanding of the experiences of teachers who support

students exposed to domestic violence. The demands of their role, impacts on their well-
being, and own needs for support are evidence that schools’ responses to student exposure to
domestic violence is an area that deserves further exploration. Teachers need earlier and more
comprehensive training around trauma and domestic violence, better systems to support
them, communication that is more effective and inclusive of information around students’

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trauma backgrounds, and clearer protocols and policies. This study indicates that more
research is warranted to effect the training, structural and policy changes that will ultimately
better support teachers to manage the demands of their roles.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the work of Dylan George and Jessica Tsoutsoulis
who conducted the interviews and the Victorian Department of Education and Training and
the Catholic Education Office of Melbourne for consenting to this project.

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