Responding to Traumatic Stress: Create a data gathering exercise to understand students’ backgrounds and identify if any of them have experienced traumatic stress. Tip: Previous teachers are sometimes a good source of information. Complete the chart below with possible strategies that you would use for specific types of trauma.
Response to Traumatic Stress
Trauma Symptoms
Response Strategies
Depression and Anxiety
In the case of many North Korean refugee schools ran in South Korea, there are many strategies such as many forms of arts being employed in order to trigger interest and boost self-esteem of North Korean refugees who have faced traumatic events. For instance, they have special choirs where they form choirs as after school activities which will practice for entire semester to prepare for the end of the semester concerts that they would perform for the people in the city. These events have been specially sponsored and supported by the South Korean government as modes of boosting the morale and self-esteem of these North Korean students and also to increase their chances of quick assimilation into the South Korean society. Other modes like visual arts and opening end of the semester exhibitions or martial arts and holding relevant performances could be other therapeutic modes that would boost their morale and self-esteem and quicken their assimilation into the South Korean society.
Lack of participation or work in school; apathy/low interest
The schools could work to hire teachers of diverse backgrounds and interests who could understand better some of the traumatic events or issues pertaining to identity and cultural assimilation that these students are facing while adapting to the South Korean society. Also, these teachers should be priorly educated about the differences between North Korean education system majorly led and designed by the North Korean Kim Il Sung regime, and hence understand the potential challenges that these North Korean refugees are facing while transitioning into the South Korean education system provided by the South Korean government. Also, school counselors and psychologists employed should be those who are able to cater to the specific needs of these North Korean refugees who have went through traumatic experiences in their lives.
Academic challenges
As mentioned, these students who have been taught strictly with the principles of the North Korean government and their propaganda might find transitioning into the South Korean education system quite difficult, hence extra academic help and support might be necessary and extra hours of tutoring might be needed and helpful if the school were to hold after school after school programs to provide extra support and guidance for students struggling to complete their assignments or understand class material during school hours.
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