The adolescent brain is malleable, which makes adolescents particularly vulnerable to the impact of trauma. Yet this malleability also presents an opportunity. Since the brain undergoes dramatic changes during adolescence, this period of development offers the chance to heal from trauma experienced early in life when young people receive targeted support and intervention. This brief emphasizes that trauma and victimization are prevalent among the nation's children and youth; students of color and those from low-income families disproportionately experience trauma and victimization; the adolescent brain is vulnerable to trauma; and trauma impedes learning.