Addressing students’ traumatic experiences and impact of social supports: Scoping review

The exposure of students to traumatic events, including bullying and various forms of physical and sexual assaults, has a detrimental effect on their cognitive functioning. This assertion is supported by several recent review studies. Nevertheless, social support has been identified as a significant factor in alleviating the negative consequences of such traumatic experiences. In contrast, some review reports have highlighted a gap in the literature regarding the exploration of students' traumatic experiences and the potential role of social support in mitigating these effects.

Objective

This review aims to address the existing research gap by examining the traumatic experiences of students and evaluating the role of social support in alleviating the negative effects of these experiences on their academic outcomes.

Method

A literature search was conducted in online databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, PsychINFO, and ScienceDirect. The search result yielded 87 articles using carefully developed search terms. Based on the setup inclusion and exclusion criteria, 59 articles were excluded, and 28 articles were included. Our data extraction strictly followed the Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-SCR).

Findings

This study found that the location of the schools and students’ levels are the significant factors that influence the types of traumatic events students experience. In the basic education level, bullying, teasing, victimization, and maltreatment were common experiences; in higher education, violence, sexual assault, and physical assault were common traumatic events students experience. Students residing in areas affected by conflict, such as war zones, encounter significantly more severe and distressing traumatic experiences than those in stable, non-conflict environments. Furthermore, this study found that social support serves as a protective factor against the negative impacts of trauma, facilitates recovery from the psychological aftermath of such experiences, and enhances the overall quality of life for these students. This review has highlighted several methodological limitations, including the prevalence of small sample sizes, a lack of longitudinal data, an excessive dependence on self-reported measures, and a dearth of experimental research. We recommended that future investigations prioritize the assessment of trauma-informed school interventions across diverse cultural settings, employing longitudinal studies and randomized controlled trials. Additionally, future reviewers should expand the scope of this analysis by incorporating studies published in various foreign languages.