Defiance or education defense mechanism: reshaping judgments on student behavior | Opinion

Defense mechanisms in students are often confused with defiance by both professors and peers. While there has been a recent rise in trauma-informed policy and mental health awareness at the K-12 school district level, universities need to make an effort to grow their awareness directly in the classroom. 

Whether newly developed or the product of an Adverse Childhood Experience, trauma induces stress that can have long-lasting effects on an individual, causing their brains and bodies to remain in a state of panic. This pervasive reaction all too often follows students into the classroom, introducing an additional strain to their already demanding plates. 

The anxiety this stress response causes presents itself in the form of skipping class, self-isolation, dissociation and sometimes anger. Further, there is specific anxiety surrounding deadlines, exams and peer involvement that can affect the level and quality of participation in these classroom activities according to Education Northwest.

Unfortunately, despite these negative effects, their stress often remains ignored. To have a trauma-informed perspective in education is to understand how perceiving these defense mechanisms as defiance can be detrimental to a student’s grades and mental health. 

Texas Education Code § 38.036 is a relatively new policy that went into effect in 2021 and has undergone continuous updates, some as recently as May 2025, requiring public school districts to employ trauma-informed policies and trainings. 

When a student skips class, submits work late and has an overall low participation, it can be easy to jump to the conclusion that they are rebelling. As highlighted by the Texas Education Agency,under Texas Education Code § 38.036, these behaviors are now more likely to be perceived as a reaction to trauma rather than outright rebellion, opening the doors for compassion and a response tailored to the student’s needs.

Unfortunately, higher education has failed to rival the policies put in place at the district level. An article from Inside Higher Ed implicates universities for being reactive as opposed to proactive in their policies, and professors as ill-equipped to interpret trauma. 

Since signs of psychological distress can regularly be detected in classroom interactions, both professors and peers are a critical line of defense for student health. After all, fostering a trauma-informed education environment is not just achieved through policy, but by expanding this perspective directly into the classroom. 

A 2024 review in Frontiers in Educationhighlighted how professors who incorporate flexible deadlines, clear expectations and check-ins create a classroom culture that promotes stronger mental well-being and greater academic success. 

Though, the responsibility to have a trauma-informed perspective does not just fall on professors’ shoulders. It is critical to point out that fellow classmates also have a powerful role in creating these supportive learning environments. Social-emotional learning research shows that strong peer connections can significantly increase students’ academic performance while also reducing isolation and emotional distress. 

Emphasizing the active participation peers have in one another’s academic experiences and emotional resilience is key to encouraging a classroom culture that prioritizes connection and mutual support over isolation and assumption. To ignore the strength of peer influence in trauma-aware education is to overlook one of the most immediate and influential support systems students have: each other. 

Many who patronize this type of education policy argue that the trauma-informed perspective in schools is incomplete, unsuccessfully addressing trauma while simultaneously holding students accountable for their actions. While this outlook in schools is relatively new and does have room to grow, accountability and discipline should look different when addressing adversity. As opposed to authoritarian responses, unacceptable behavior should be met with accountability as well as support. A trauma-informed response does not simply provide students with leniency, but attempts to meet students halfway, with cooperation required on both ends. 

Research indicates that students are able to explore challenging topics while retaining more information when their mental health needs are addressed first. A professor who reprimands a student for trauma-related behaviors may unintentionally trigger reenactment of past distress, deepening withdrawal from the class and coursework.

Meanwhile, educators trained to respond with understanding can help break that cycle, allowing students to re-engage and thrive academically, according to Education Weekly. Recognizing the potential behind an individual’s built-up walls is essential to meaningful student engagement, growth and overall mental health improvement. 

Defense mechanisms like inconsistent attendance, missing work and isolation need to be viewed in a new light: not as a form of defiance but as a defense. There is rising progress in trauma-informed policies and mental health awareness in educational settings as the Texas Education Code § 38.036 displays, yet universities need to adopt these practices in the classroom directly. 

The university currently has mental health resources available for students on their website and an established policy for helping individuals who may be struggling with their mental health. However, being proactive about identifying declining mental health in students should be as established as the university’s reactive policy.

Until universities embed these supportive approaches, vulnerable students will continue to fall through the cracks. This shift will require a collective effort from professors who can welcome flexibility and share mental health resources with their students, and classmates who can foster empathy and inclusive peer relationships. 

Together, the effort toward trauma-informed higher education must become a shared responsibility. When professors and peers work hand in hand to prioritize compassion and understanding, reshaping judgements on student behavior, the classroom becomes a place for everyone to learn and prosper. It is time to begin treating trauma-informed care as an essential part of education rather than optional.