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Racial Trauma

Watch Dr. Alexandria Bauer, postdoctoral research associate at the Center of Alcohol & Substance Use Studies at Rutgers University, and Dr. Tanya Saraiya, research assistant professor and clinical psychologist at the Medical University of South Carolina, introduce this month's Friday Fast Facts topic. Look for new materials on racial trauma every Friday in October 2021.

Racial Trauma: Recognition, Harms, and What To Do About It

Racial trauma is a reaction or response to racial discrimination, including microaggressions, and it can be persistent and cumulative. Learn how to recognize racial trauma, its harmful effects, and what you can do about it with this infographic. 

Download as a PDF 

Clinical Research Sheet: Racial Trauma

By Alexandria G. Bauer, PhD, and Tanya C. Saraiya, PhD

View this Clinical Research Sheet

Racial trauma is defined as an individual or group’s stressful, painful reaction to racial ‎discrimination, which is the direct experience of (or witnessing or learning about) conflict, hatred, ‎injury, or threatened harm to an individual based on their race. Just like other types of trauma, racial trauma can be caused by a single event or multiple events, ‎which may build upon one another. In this way, racial trauma can be cumulative and persistent. Read this Clinical Research Sheet to learn:

  • What is racial trauma?
  • How does racial trauma compare to other trauma types?‎
  • What are the effects of racial trauma?‎
  • What are some of the theoretical considerations for racial trauma?‎
  • How can clinicians address racial trauma?‎
  • What can researchers do to address racial trauma?‎
  • Where can I learn more about racial trauma and related areas?

Coming Up

New episode of the ISTSS podcast, Trauma Talk