Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has recently adopted a new position statement focused on preventing and responding to maltreatment of children with disabilities. This significant initiative builds on previous efforts, including the CEC Policy on the Prevention of and Response to Maltreatment, and aims to provide actionable steps for…

Child maltreatment is a serious national problem. In fiscal year 2020 alone, approximately 618,000 children in the United States experienced abuse and neglect, and 1,750 died as a result. OJJDP supports the important work of children's advocacy centers and their multidisciplinary teams of child abuse prevention and intervention professionals. In…

Community-based youth-serving organizations are often seen by participants and their families as safe and supportive environments with no stigma attached to participation. Many children attend community-based afterschool programs five days a week. In such an environment, trusted adults can consistently monitor the moods and behaviors of…

Student mental health needs continue to rise across the United States and many students and families rely on schools to provide services to meet these needs. Yet, an overwhelming number of available frameworks and approaches to school mental health (SMH) and overlapping terminology surrounding SMH supports like trauma-informed (TI) approaches,…

Drawing on evidence and example legislation, this policy research brief identifies school-based policy options for Texas to prevent and mitigate toxic stress caused by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The term ACEs refers to the 10 common categories of adversity included in a landmark study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…

For young people to learn, grow, and thrive, they must first be safe. In fiscal year 2020, approximately 618,000 children in the United States experienced abuse and neglect, and 1,750 died as a result. The effects of child abuse, which can include failure in school, depression, substance use, or involvement in the justice system, can be mitigated…

Schools have become increasingly interested in social-emotional learning (SEL) over the past decade, and that interest has grown due to concern about student well-being resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is confusion around SEL. Christi Bergin, Christina Cipriano, Tia Barnes, Shannon B. Wanless, researchers who have studied and…

In response to growing evidence that young people aging out of foster care face significant challenges during their transition to adulthood and fare more poorly than their peers across a wide range of life domains, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 gave states the option to extend eligibility for federally…

The commercial sexual exploitation of children is a growing concern around the world. Education about this concern is a key component to preventing further occurrences. The Committee for Children found few educational models in U.S. schools. School counselors play a significant role in preventing, identifying, and connecting students to community…

Black boys have been dying by suicide at an increasing rate. Although the reasons for this increase are unknown, suicide in Black boys is likely influenced by multiple, intersecting risk factors, including historical and ongoing trauma. Schools can serve as an important mechanism of support for Black boys; however, without intentional antiracist…

This article takes up Black critical geography, Rhetorical Genre Studies (RGS), and trauma-informed pedagogy (TIP) to argue that preventing rhetorical violence in our classrooms cannot be accomplished without ensuring students feel safe bringing their whole selves into the classroom. Specifically, Black theorizations of space and genre systems…

All Washington's children and youth grow up safe and healthy--thriving physically, emotionally, and educationally, nurtured by family and community. In this first five-year strategic planning cycle, the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) will focus on six Strategic Priorities--one relates to equity, three relate to…

This report summarizes activities undertaken by OSPI's Reducing Restraint & Eliminating Isolation (RREI) project during fiscal year 2025, as mandated through 2023's biennial operating budget and 2024's supplemental operating budget. Demonstration projects incorporate "Pilot site" districts that strategically engage in the process of…

The 2022 Legislature directed the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create an advisory workgroup with specific participants to report back on topics related to student isolation and seclusion. This legislative report provides a background on the workgroup, history of isolation and restraint, current practices in the state of…