The impact of critical incidents on school counsellors

Report of a qualitative study

Authors

  • Margaret Donnelly
  • Louise Rowling

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Traumatic events connected with a school can seriously affect everyone involved—students, staff, parents and the local community. School counsellors can come under considerable pressure and may themselves need support This study looked at the experiences of Australian school counsellors who are employed in both the governmental and nongovernmental sectors. The authors conclude that leadership is of paramount importance, coupled with a good management plan and clear communications between all parties involved. They believe that their findings could be of help to others working in the caring professions and in palliative care.

References

Grunsell, L. 1993. “School counsellors in New South Wales—a study of their work and occupational stress factors”. In Attending and corresponding members of the school Counsellors' Special Interest Group and its industrial subcommittee. Sydney, Australia

Huberty, T J and Huebner, E S. 1988. A national survey of burnout among school psychologists.. Psychology in the Schools, 25: 54–61.

Huebner, E S. 1992. Burnout among school psychologists: An exploratory investigation into its nature, extent and correlates.. School Psychology Quarterly, 7(2): 129–136.

Huebner, E S. 1993. Professionals under stress: A review of burnout among the helping professions with implications for school psychologists.. Psychology in the Schools, 30: 40–47.

Jackson, C. 2003. “A salutogenic approach to the management of critical incidents: An examination of teachers' stress responses and coping, and school management strategies and intervention”. In Unpublished PhD thesis Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia: Swinbourne University of Technology.

Pearlman, L A. 1999. “Vicarious traumatization protecting the front line”. In Paper presented at the Vicarious Traumatization: Protecting the Front Line conference

Rowling, L. 1995. The disenfranchised grief of teachers.. Omega, 31(4): 317–329.

Rowling, L. 2003. Grief in School Communities—Effective Support Strategies. Maiden head, Berkshire, UK: Open University Press..

Saakvitne, K W and Pearlman, L A. 1996. Transforming the Pain—A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization for Helping Professionals. New York: WW Norton..

Schonfeld, D J and Newgass, S. 2001. The School Crisis Response Initiative of the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence. Yale, CT, USA: Yale Child Study Center..

Whitla, M. 2003. Crisis Management and the School Community. Melbourne, Australia: ACER Press..

Downloads

Published

2007-03-01

Issue

Section

Original Articles