For many learners, the classroom is not a neutral space – it’s shaped by South Africa’s history, which has been characterised by displacement, violence and widespread poverty. This extends beyond individual experience, affecting families and communities. Research has increasingly shown that trauma can be transmitted across generations, influencing emotional regulation, behaviour and mental health long after the original trauma occurred.
Schools cannot resolve these challenges alone – but evidence suggests that whole school development, particularly when grounded in trauma-informed approaches, can meaningfully improve psychosocial outcomes for learners affected by intergenerational trauma.
Understanding intergenerational trauma
Intergenerational trauma refers to the ways in which psychological and physiological effects of trauma experienced by one generation are passed on to subsequent generations. Transmission occurs through multiple pathways, including parenting practices, family dynamics, social environments and biological mechanisms such as stress-related epigenetic changes.
A 2025 article published in Behavioral Sciences, titled ‘The Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adverse Family Experiences: A Qualitative Exploration of Sibling Resilience’, found consistent links between ancestral trauma exposure and elevated risks of anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, and stress-related disorders in descendants. The review highlights that trauma does not simply “fade” over time but can remain embedded in family systems and social contexts.
Crucially, the authors note that intergenerational trauma is shaped not only by past events but by ongoing structural stressors, including poverty, discrimination and social exclusion. This finding is particularly relevant in countries such as South Africa, where historical trauma intersects with present-day inequality.
How trauma shows up in the classroom
For learners, the effects of intergenerational trauma often surface as difficulties with concentration, emotional regulation, relationships, and behaviour. These responses are often misunderstood as learning or discipline problems rather than adaptive responses to chronic stress.
Prolonged activation of stress responses can disrupt brain development, affecting memory, attention, and executive functioning – all of which are critical for learning. Without appropriate support, school environments can unintentionally compound trauma through rigid discipline, unsafe spaces, or a lack of emotional support.
Why whole school development matters
Whole school development recognises that the entire school ecosystem shapes learner outcomes – leadership, teaching practices, policies, physical environments and relationships. Rather than relying on one-off counselling, it aims to embed systemic support across schools.
A 2020 article titled ‘Systematic Review of School-Wide Trauma-Informed Approaches’ found that effective interventions share common features: staff training, organisational change, consistent practices and a focus on psychological safety. These elements align closely with whole school development frameworks.
Importantly, whole school approaches shift responsibility from individual teachers or learners to the institution itself. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s Breakthrough Series Collaborative’s research study, ‘Supporting trauma-informed schools to keep students in the classroom’, has argued for trauma-informed schools that infuse trauma awareness, knowledge and skills into organisational culture, practices and policies, rather than treating trauma as an individual pathology.
Evidence of psychosocial impact
While evidence is still emerging, studies suggest that whole-school, trauma-informed approaches can improve psychosocial outcomes for learners.
A 2019 Australian study examining trauma-informed positive education found that when schools adopted a whole school approach, including leadership commitment and sustained professional learning, students showed improvements in wellbeing alongside academic gains. Teachers also reported increased collective efficacy and stronger relationships with learners. Similarly, a 2024 European evaluation of a school-wide trauma-informed education programme reported early improvements in classroom climate and learner resilience within the first year of implementation. Although these findings are modest, they suggest that a systemic approach can shift how learners experience school.
While evidence is still emerging in South Africa, research suggests that trauma‑informed approaches are most effective when implemented at a whole‑school level rather than through isolated classroom responses.
A 2025 case-based study conducted in under-resourced primary schools in Limpopo Province, led by researchers at the University of Venda, found that trauma-informed practice was strengthened when schools adopted shared frameworks, coordinated referral pathways, and collective responsibility for learner wellbeing. Published in the peer‑reviewed journal Children, the study emphasised that leadership commitment and structured professional learning were critical to improving classroom safety, teacher confidence and psychosocial support for learners exposed to trauma.
Similar insights emerge from a 2021 qualitative case study of a Johannesburg secondary school conducted by the University of Johannesburg. This case study documented how school-wide trauma-informed practices – including safe spaces, collaboration with psychosocial services, and peer support among educators – contributed to stronger teacher-learner relationships and a more supportive school climate.
While these findings are modest and context‑specific, they reinforce the view that systemic approaches can meaningfully shift how learners experience school in high‑trauma settings. Whole school development offers a framework for addressing trauma without positioning schools as mental health providers alone. Instead, it supports schools to become enabling environments – places of stability, connection and growth that can interrupt cycles of trauma.
Sustained support makes a difference
Taken together, the research indicates that whole school development can support learners affected by intergenerational trauma by:
- Improving emotional safety and school climate
- Strengthening relationships between learners and educators
- Building resilience, emotional regulation, and social skills
- Reducing behavioural responses linked to chronic stress
- Supporting educators through shared frameworks and professional learning
While more longitudinal research is needed, it’s clear that schools function best as healing environments when support is systemic, sustained, and embedded. For funders, policymakers, and partners, this reinforces the case for investing in whole school development as a pathway to both educational and psychosocial impact.
