We previously asserted that trauma “refers to an overwhelming and intense experience that often involves significant loss or harm to a person’s physical, emotional, and/or or psychological safety. Without such rudimentary knowledge, police review board members are not able to see youth in their true, three-dimensional context.” What exactly would trauma-informed training look like for a police review board?

The premise of the interactive training would be to alert police review board members to the fact that police officers and other law enforcement personnel may have experiences which could be affecting their overall health and job performance regarding interactions with youth. As well, the training would focus on how trauma can affect youth. The content would not be overly clinical. Instead, it would inform participants of trauma in a policing context so that they could appreciate and understand the challenges facing police officers as they carry out their duties. Especially in the present political environment such training is imperative.