Trauma informed Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa New Zealand - New Zealand Journal of Teachers’Work Volume 21 Issue 1 (32-42)

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya

Research overview on trauma and its effects in early childhood in Aotearoa New Zealand, arguing for stronger Trauma Informed Practice. It focuses on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) to equip graduating kaiako with pedagogical tools to support tamariki experiencing trauma and collaborate with external services. It also proposes a trauma measurement model designed for Aotearoa, incorporating te Tiriti o Waitangi, colonisation history, and Māori-specific needs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Childhood trauma research and international evidence

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and impacts

Rationale for trauma informed practice in ECE

Developing trauma-informed relationships and professional learning

Trauma informed Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa New Zealand New Zealand Journal of Teachers’Work, Volume 21, Issue 1, 32-42, 2024 LUCY WOOD Open Polytechnic ABSTRACT This research overview outlines the catalyst for a proposed research project which stems from an interest in trauma and its effects, particularly in early childhood. It argues that there should be a stronger focus on Trauma Informed Practice in Aotearoa New Zealand, with two foci-firstly in ITE programmes, empowering graduating kaiako with the tools to support tamariki who have trauma through pedagogical practice, so that they can work in collaboration with external services rather than relying on them. Secondly, with the creation of a model to measure trauma which is designed for use in Aotearoa New Zealand, takes into consideration te Tiriti o Waitangi, the history of colonisation in this country and the specific needs of Māori. INTRODUCTION Experiences and interactions during early childhood, both negative and positive, shape a person’s development and influence the trajectory of their life (Siegel & Hartzell, 2003). Infants, toddlers and young children are the most vulnerable of our species, their futures in the hands of the adults in their world, influenced by the cultural and socioeconomic context into which they are born (Press, 2006). This research overview outlines the catalyst fora proposed research project which stems from an interest in trauma and its effects, particularly in early childhood. It argues that there should be a stronger focus on Trauma Informed Practice in Aotearoa New Zealand, with two foci: firstly in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes, empowering graduating kaiako with the tools to support tamariki who have trauma through pedagogical practice, so that they can work in collaboration with external services rather than relying on them. Secondly, with the creation of a model to measure trauma which is designed for use in Aotearoa New Zealand, takes into consideration te Tiriti o Waitangi, the history of colonisation in this country and the specific needs of Māori. The seminal United States of America (USA) study on childhood trauma, the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study (Felliti et al., 1998), revealed that high numbers of the participants had experienced ACEs, such as parental drug or alcohol abuse, domestic violence, or parental mental health challenges, during their childhood, and that these ACEs had affected the participants’futures (Hambrick et al., 2019). International statistics around adverse childhood experiences follow a similar pattern to those from New Zealand (Walsh, M.et al., 2019). The Growing Up In New Zealand Study found that ACEs are common in Aotearoa New Zealand (Morton et al., 2017). The Oranga Tamariki Care and Protection Statistics for the 12 months preceding March 31st 2023 (the mostrecent available statistics at the time of writing), show that over that year, 69,500 reports of concern involving 51,600 individual tamariki and rangatahi were made (Oranga Tamariki, nd). Though progress has been made to reduce child poverty in New Zealand (UNICEF, 2023), in recent years, New Zealand ranked 35th outof 41 developed countries for child wellbeing outcomes (UNICEF, 2021).Research from the Centre for Social Data Analytics at Auckland University of Technology examined the prevalence ofACEs and their effects on children in New Zealand, finding that more than half the children studied had experienced at least one ACE by 4.5 years of age (Walsh, M.et al., 2019). ACEs have been researched through multiple lenses. Levy and Muench (2022) examined the epigenetic implications of childhood adversity in relation to stress, immunity, and brain development. Teicher et al. (2016) studied the connection between ACEs and psychiatric disorders in adulthood while Larkin et al.(2014) researched the connection between ACEs and principal causes of death in the United States of America.ACEs involving maltr

FAQs

What problem does the research overview target in early childhood education?

It targets the need for stronger Trauma Informed Practice in Aotearoa New Zealand, given trauma’s effects on tamariki and the development of appropriate educational responses.

How does the overview suggest improving capacity within the education system?

It proposes a focus in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes to empower graduating kaiako through pedagogical tools that help tamariki with trauma and enable collaboration with external services.

What is the purpose of the proposed trauma measurement model?

It aims to measure trauma in a way designed for use in Aotearoa New Zealand, taking into account te Tiriti o Waitangi, colonisation history, and the specific needs of Māori.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aditya