German Union Supports Teachers Facing Traumatised Refugee Children and Young People
As part of the response to teaching hundreds of thousands of newly arrived refugee children, the GEW has organised a series of workshops this year to support teachers and other education workers facing children with special psychological needs, such as trauma caused by the experience of war and the long journey to Europe.
The Hamburg psychologist Julia Fischer-Ortman has carried out workshops in Hamburg and Bremen as well as at the national GEW Education workshop in May at Walsrode, north of Hanover.
All refugees face significant physical and emotional pressures, but not all refugees are traumatised or will develop psychological problems. These practice-oriented workshops give a theoretical introduction to the topic and to behavioural problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorders.
The workshops are based upon a three-step approach for teachers facing these situations:
- How do I recognise trauma?
- What can I do when a child or a young person is made ill by the trauma?
- When is psychotherapeutic help necessary?
More information (in German):
