Microaggressions, Trauma, and Trauma-Aware Education in Higher Education

Microaggressions, Trauma, and Trauma-Aware Education in Higher Education

Microaggressions in higher education are subtle, often unintentional, discriminatory comments or actions that negatively impact students, particularly those from marginalised social groups such as race, gender, sexuality and disability (Sue & Spannerman, 2020). Over time, these cumulative microaggressions can lead to stress, anxiety, and a decreased sense of belonging, undermining academic and social engagement (Johnson et al., 2023). This chapter explores the types, sources, and impacts of microaggressions and discusses the implementation of traumaaware education as a strategy to mitigate these effects and support affected students. Microaggressions are typically categorised into microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations, each contributing differently to the student experience (Sue et al., 2007). They can originate from peers, faculty, and institutional policies, creating an unwelcoming educational environment. Chronologically, microaggressions can accumulate from early education through to higher education, exacerbating their traumatic impacts over time and further emphasising the need for a trauma informed approach to higher education of students in marginalised social groups. The psychological and academic ramifications of microaggressions include increased mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, reduced academic participation, and higher dropout rates (Dyrbye et al., 2006; Williams, 2020). Socially, affected students may experience isolation and reduced engagement in campus life, which in turn affects community building and their overall educational experience. Further, the belief that a higher education institution has not acted to prevent or adequately respond to microaggressions may lead to perceptions of institutional betrayal from students in marginalised groups (Lett et al., 2020). In response, trauma-aware education offers a framework for addressing these challenges, focusing on principles of safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment (Morgan et al., 2015). This approach involves training for faculty and staff to recognise and appropriately respond to microaggressions, fostering an inclusive campus environment through policy adjustments, and community engagement (Johnson et al., 2023).

Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions.