School Discipline Evolution: De-Escalation And Trauma-Informed Care Are Becoming More Popular

Educators and schools have different ways of disciplining students. Many parents have criticized and protested against some of the old fashioned school discipline styles, such as isolating kids and incorporating verbal or physical abuse to correct behavior. For these reasons, school discipline continues to evolve.

The two kinds of school discipline methods being promoted in many schools nowadays are de-escalation and trauma-informed care, KCUR reports. These new forms of school discipline are preferred by many educators and parents for children.

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De-escalation As A New Form Of School Discipline

School discipline has evolved from giving students harsh punishments and zero tolerance into something more humane and empathetic. The goal is to help students understand why displaying good behavior benefits everybody. It tries to move away from scaring students about the potential consequences and punishments of bad behavior.

"When a kid is talking with another student or running down the hall, they're not thinking 'I better not do this because I'll get suspended.' So suspending them won't teach them anything," Derald Davis, School Leadership for Kansas City Public Schools assistant superintendent, told KCUR. "We need to help them understand why they shouldn't have certain behaviors at school, teach them how to talk to adults, resolve conflicts with peers and so on."

Trauma-informed Care As A New Form Of School Discipline

Trauma-informed care focuses on identifying and treating the students' trauma that causes their display of bad behavior. "What is most beneficial is identifying the root cause of the behavior," Truman Medical Center consultant Molly Ticknor told KCUR. "Once you understand how trauma impacts the brain, you begin to develop empathy."

Empathy is one of the most important skills to teach children, according to Parent Further. Focusing on empathy in applying school discipline is essential in making kids become more matured and emotionally stable people. On the other hand, many educators feel that focusing on punishments and harsh consequences can traumatize children and worsen their behavior.