The Value of Student Voice and Choice: A Guide for Trauma-Informed Participatory Action Research in the University Setting

Abstract

Many college and university students live with the effects of trauma, and more research is needed around trauma-informed practices in higher education. It is important that this research represents the needs and interests of students and that it be conducted in a way that is appropriate and safe for trauma survivors. We describe the process of forming a vertically integrated, interdisciplinary Participatory Action Research (PAR) team of students and faculty dedicated to creating a trauma-informed learning environment on a university campus and argue that PAR and Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) practices provide important and complementary frameworks for inclusive, just, and community-responsive research. We describe how this research team embodied core PAR values of collaboration, incorporation of local knowledge, eclecticism and diversity, case orientation, emergent process, and linking scientific understanding to social action, along with the TIC commitments of trauma awareness, safety, choice and empowerment, and strengths-based orientation. We describe lessons learned by the team and provide recommendations for researchers who seek to incorporate both PAR and TIC principles into their work on trauma and education. Central lessons learned from this process highlighted the importance of 1) establishing and maintaining psychological safety, 2) speaking openly about trauma, and 3) privileging responsiveness to the difficulty of working with trauma while living through ongoing global stressors. Specific recommendations include 1) lead with values, 2) acknowledge and attend to context, 3) recognize that defining trauma is controversial, 4) model courageous conversations, 5) emphasize responsiveness and care, and 6) teach strategies for managing painful emotions.