Abstract
Dialectical behavior therapy-informed (DBT) techniques have shown efficacy in reducing emotional dysregulation incidents among pediatric inpatient populations. In this study, a DBT-informed training intervention was administered to elementary school educators to assess its efficacy in reducing dysregulation incidents in the classroom and increasing confidence in de-escalation. A 60-min de-escalation training equipped educators with evidence-based strategies to reduce dysregulation incidents among elementary-aged children through early non-confrontational intervention. Participants tracked the number of dysregulation episodes three weeks before and after the intervention. Additionally, pre- and post-training surveys assessed the impact of the intervention on educator knowledge and confidence in de-escalation techniques. Data demonstrated a 22% improvement in educators’ confidence in addressing emotional dysregulation in students, a 52% increase in knowledge of trauma-informed care, 100% increase in knowledge of DBT principles, and 41% increase in knowledge of trauma presentations. There was also a 50% reduction in the number of post-training dysregulation incidents in the classroom. Most participants found the training valuable (89%) and were likely to recommend the training to others (94%). This pilot study suggests that a de-escalation training for educators may be effective in improving educator confidence in supporting students and reducing dysregulation incidents in the classroom.
Plain Language Summary
Why was the study done? Young children, especially those who have experienced childhood trauma, are emotionally vulnerable. This can manifest as emotional dysregulation and outbursts in inappropriate settings, such as the classroom. DBT is a type of psychological therapy that helps patients understand and manage strong emotions, handle stress in healthy ways, and improve communication. DBT has been successfully used with children in clinical settings. As such, we believe that it has the potential to be applied in school settings. Many NYC elementary students come from traumatic backgrounds and struggle to manage emotions in school, leading to challenges for educators. Training educators in DBT may equip them to better handle such incidents. What did the researchers do? We created a 1-hour training that taught educators at a NYC elementary school how to use DBT and trauma-informed skills to help calm a student who is having an emotional outburst, and to proactively prevent them from happening. We surveyed these educators weekly for 3 weeks before and after the training to see if it had an impact on these classroom outbursts. What did the researchers find? Nineteen teachers completed the training surveys, and ten completed the weekly surveys. After the training, there were half as many emotional outbursts occurring in classrooms as before the training. Many teachers reported feeling more confident in addressing outbursts after the training. Many also reported gaining knowledge in DBT and how to recognize and accommodate the consequences of traumatic life events in the classroom. Almost all teachers found the training valuable and were likely to recommend the training to others. What do the findings mean? This study suggests that DBT-informed trainings may help educators support vulnerable students in managing strong emotions in school. Such trainings can be widely implemented across public schools through integration with staff development programming.
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