Trauma at school: relationship between vitimization and post traumatic stress disorder

• Grant number: 13/00940-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Psychological Treatment and Prevention
• Principal Investigator: Lúcia Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Williams
• Grantee: Paloma Pegolo de Albuquerque
• Supervisor: Robert A. Geffner
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Alliant International University, San Diego, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 10/01379-5 - Trauma and victimization in school: a retrospective study with university students, BP.DR

Abstract

There is evidence that children and youth may experience bullying and schoolvictimization as traumatic events, presenting even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) symptoms. Nevertheless, there are still gaps in the literature about therelationship between these variables: Are there risk factors for developing the disorder?What is the degree of influence of environmental variables, such as family stressors?Does the development of symptoms vary according to types of school victimizationexperienced? Why do some individuals develop PTSD symptoms after experiencingschool victimization in the short and also in long term? Due to the need to clarify suchquestions and enhance data analysis of my doctoral research, the internship abroad withthe team of researchers led by Professor Robert Geffner, renowned trauma specialist,will greatly contribute to my research. Planned activities involve: supervision byProfessor Geffner and his team; participation in classes or courses offered by AlliantInternational University; doing observations, internship and/or research, andparticipating in practical clinical and forensic cases at the Institute on Violence, Abuse& Trauma (IVAT); conducting literature search; visiting existing institutions in SanDiego and nearby cities offering services to victims of various traumas; be able toparticipate in the reviewing of articles submitted to peer reviewed journals edited byProfessor Geffner and his staff; participating in the planning of the scientific event,"18th International Conference and Summit on Violence, Abuse & Trauma" in SanDiego, CA, take part in the conference itself in various capacities as an IVAT volunteerstaff member, and presentation of a poster at the conference; participate in ProfessorGeffner's doctoral student research group that meets periodically during the summer;and possibly conduct brief training seminars to other students and faculty at AlliantInternational University. We expect 3 concrete products from this experience: 1) tosubmit a paper on the effects of trauma in school violence victims, including casestudies descriptions; 2) present a poster at the International conference noted above; and3) participation at Brazilian conferences, to disseminate the research data produced atthe internship, as well as a presentation to Graduate students and Professors atUniversidade Federal de São Carlos. (AU)