Trauma-Informed Leadership in Early Childhood Settings

I am developing my annotated bibliography and synthesis paper, and want to share my research topic and request your feedback and assistance. My research examines trauma-informed leadership practices within early childhood settings. My research will explore the effects of secondary trauma on leadership relationships within teams and service populations while investigating appropriate training methods for leaders to identify and manage trauma across different work environments. Leaders are vital in determining how teams react to trauma, yet I understand that universal strategies are not applicable. Trauma-informed training effectiveness varies greatly depending on different cultural and contextual elements. I’m also curious about the barriers: Leaders face barriers when implementing trauma-informed practices despite having received training. What have you seen work in practice? Could you suggest any specific programs or studies that would be beneficial for my research? Your recommended resources will greatly support my bibliography construction and help me refine the focus of my paper. Thanks so much in advance!

Colleagues' Insight Questions:

-Through your professional experiences, which approaches have proven effective in aiding leaders who face secondary trauma in early childhood environments?

-What challenges or resistance have you encountered when implementing trauma-informed practices in your organization or community? How did you address them?-Which professional development programs and resources have proven most effective for training leaders to understand and address trauma?

References

Fisk, G. M., & Daoust, L. E. (2025). Advancing a trauma-informed approach to leadership in the workplace: A conceptual review and theoretical extension. Psychology of Leaders and Leadership. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/mgr0000172

National Academy of Sciences. (2015). Transforming the workforce for children birth through age 8: A unifying foundation. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/19401

Zinsser, K. M., & Curby, T. W. (2014). Understanding Preschool Teachers’ Emotional Support as a Function of Center Climate.Links to an external site. SAGE Open, 4(4).

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