The Bolch Judicial Institute of Duke Law School’s Trauma-Informed Practices in the Courts initiative has published two original research articles, providing valuable insights into judges’ attitudes and practices regarding trauma-informed care in the courtroom.
“These studies shed light on the complexities of integrating trauma-informed care in the judicial system and are the result of many years of hard work and dedication from the team of researchers named in both articles,” said Amelia Ashton Thorn, assistant director of the Bolch Judicial Institute and an author of both articles. “We are pleased to contribute meaningful research in an area that is gaining momentum in the United States and around the world.”
The first article, Judges’ Attitudes and Experiences Related to a Trauma-Informed Approach: An Exploratory Study, published this summer in the journal Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, reports on a survey conducted with 91 district court judges in North Carolina, examining their self-reported attitudes toward trauma and trauma-informed care. The study finds that juvenile court judges are more committed to a trauma-informed approach in their courtrooms, and that such attitudes tend to be correlated with support for rehabilitation. Based on the findings, the authors urge enhanced support and implementation of trauma-informed practices, particularly within the adult criminal justice system.
The second article, Applying a trauma-informed care framework to courtroom practice: An analysis of judges’ perspectives, published on September 18, 2024, in the Juvenile and Family Court Journal (Volume 75, Issue 3), presents findings from in-depth interviews with judges who participated in the Institute’s pilot trauma education program in 2021. In their analysis, the researchers identify over 40 trauma-informed judicial practices named by the judges, providing concrete examples that other judges may follow to integrate trauma informed practices into their everyday courtroom routine. They also identify groups of practices with which judges showed more—and less—engagement.
Dr. Eva McKinsey, the lead author on both studies and a research consultant for the Institute, said the studies offer helpful insights while still pointing the way toward further work.
“What we are seeing from these studies is that many judges, and especially juvenile court judges, hold attitudes favorable toward a trauma-informed approach in courts, and have a host of ideas on what that can look like,” she said. “It also shows us where there may be deficits. Our ongoing research will delve more deeply into the kinds of practices judges are actually using on the bench, and how those might influence court users.”
For more information about the Bolch Judicial Institute’s Trauma-Informed Practices in the Courts initiative, visit judicialstudies.duke.edu/the-trauma-informed-court.