Sabitri Sanyal
Abstract
This project explores the imperative of embedding trauma-informed socio-emotional learning (SEL) and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) into the secondary government school curriculum in urban India. Many adolescent students, especially girls in marginalized urban communities, face unaddressed trauma from abuse or adversity and lack accurate knowledge about their bodies and relationships due to cultural taboos. The absence of trauma-sensitive SEL and factual sexuality education leaves them vulnerable to mental distress, exploitation, early marriage, and teen pregnancy[1][2]. Through qualitative participatory action research in a West Bengal urban slum school, this study will identify gaps and challenges in current life-skills education, and co-create interventions with students and educators.
A short film will serve as the creative output, dramatizing a young girl’s journey from silence to empowerment when her school implements a compassionate curriculum addressing both emotional well-being and sexual health. The research-backed narrative will highlight how a trauma-informed approach in classrooms—grounded in trust, empathy, and safety—can help students heal and build resilience, while age-appropriate sexuality education can dispel myths and protect them from harm[3][4].
By aligning with national initiatives like the School Health and Wellness Programme and RKSK (Adolescent Health Program), the project emphasizes policy-relevant solutions. Ultimately, the study aims to demonstrate that integrating SEL and CSE not only supports adolescents’ mental and physical health but also keeps girls in school and enables them to thrive as informed, confident individuals.
Keywords: Trauma-informed, Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Adolescent Girls, Secondary Schools, Urban Slums, Curriculum
Creative Project Type: Short film (3–4 minutes) – narrative drama featuring adolescents in an urban slum school setting.
Mode of Presentation: The project will be presented as a short film screening accompanied by a brief commentary. In the presentation, the 3–4 minute film will depict the real-life inspired story of an adolescent girl in a government school who grapples with trauma and confusion about puberty and relationships. Through creative storytelling, it will voice the questions and anxieties that teenagers often harbor in silence. The visual medium was chosen for its emotional impact – a film can candidly portray sensitive situations (such as a student coping with abuse or a teacher addressing myths about sex) in a relatable way, evoking empathy and understanding.
This format also transcends language barriers through expressions and imagery. The presentation will use the film’s characters and scenarios to illustrate how trauma-informed teaching methods (e.g. a supportive teacher-student relationship, a calming classroom environment) combined with comprehensive sexuality education can transform the girl’s outlook. By engaging the audience’s emotions and sense of justice, the short film powerfully reinforces the project’s message that safe, inclusive education can heal and empower vulnerable youth. This creative mode thus enhances the core findings by bringing policy ideas to life and normalizing conversations on mental health and sexual health in an accessible, compelling manner.
Introduction & Initial Literature Review
In India’s secondary schools, discussions about mental health, violence, or sexuality are often minimal due to stigma, despite high need. Urban adolescent girls from low-income communities frequently encounter traumatic experiences – a national study by the Ministry of Women and Child Development found that 2 out of 3 children had faced physical abuse and half of all children had suffered sexual or emotional abuse[1]. Such trauma, if unaddressed, can lead to anxiety, depression, behavioral issues, or PTSD that impede a student’s ability to learn and thrive. Yet, traditional school discipline and pedagogy in government schools are not equipped to be trauma-sensitive[4].
At the same time, lack of formal sexuality education leaves girls ill-informed about puberty, consent, contraception and their rights. Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is proven to help young people develop healthy attitudes and protect themselves – it delays sexual debut, increases use of contraception, and can reduce abuse by teaching boundaries and consent[5][2]. Unfortunately, many Indian schools shy away from these topics due to cultural taboos, and myths persist. For instance, only 45% of young women (15–24) in India were even aware that consistent condom use can prevent HIV[6][7], reflecting gaps in knowledge.
Policy frameworks are now acknowledging these needs. The Government’s Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) and the new School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP) under Ayushman Bharat attempt to address adolescent health holistically. The SHWP deploys two teachers in each school as “Health and Wellness Ambassadors” to conduct weekly sessions on 11 thematic areas – including emotional well-being, mental health, gender equality, interpersonal relationships, nutrition, substance abuse, and reproductive health[8].
This curriculum is meant to be age-appropriate and culturally sensitive, covering both socio-emotional skills and sexual-reproductive health knowledge. However, implementation on the ground faces challenges: teachers often lack training in trauma-informed methods, some schools skip sensitive modules, and counselors or support services are scarce[9][10]. A UNESCO review noted that even when policies exist, “quality CSE” delivery is inconsistent and many youths still receive confusing or incorrect information[11][12].
The literature suggests that integrating a trauma-informed approach in schools – one that trains educators to recognize and respond to trauma – can foster safer learning environments and improve student outcomes. Trauma-informed schools emphasize supportive relationships, predictability, and emotional safety, helping all students (not only those overtly in distress) build resilience and better engage in learning[4][13]. When combined with SEL programs that build skills like self-awareness, empathy, and communication, this creates a foundation where topics like sexual and reproductive health can be taught more effectively.
Global evidence shows that without a supportive environment, mere academic information on sensitive topics is not enough – students need to feel safe and respected to truly absorb lessons on consent or report abuse. Thus, bridging trauma-informed SEL with comprehensive sexuality education could yield synergistic benefits, addressing both the emotional and informational needs of adolescents. This project’s initial review of research and policy gaps underlines a clear need for qualitative insights into how such integration can be implemented in Indian government schools, and how it might improve student well-being and educational attainment.
Objectives & Methods
This qualitative study has two primary objectives: (1) to assess the current state of socio-emotional learning and sexuality education in a sample urban government secondary school serving marginalized communities, with a focus on identifying gaps, attitudes, and unmet needs; and (2) to explore and pilot an integrated approach of trauma-informed SEL + CSE, documenting its reception and potential impact on adolescents (especially girls). Key research questions include: How do trauma and socio-emotional challenges affect students’ engagement and safety in school? What myths or questions do students have about sexual health and relationships? What are the barriers for teachers in delivering lessons on these topics?
To achieve these objectives, the project will use participatory action research methods. We will conduct semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders – including students (both girls and boys, ages 13–16), teachers (particularly Life Skills or Biology teachers and the assigned Health Ambassadors), school counselors (if available), and parents – in an urban slum area school. Through these conversations, we will gather personal narratives and examples of how trauma (like domestic violence, abuse, or pandemic-related stress) manifests in student behavior, and how the absence of open communication on puberty/sexuality affects them. We will also review any existing curriculum content or government guidelines provided to the school on these subjects (such as the Adolescent Education Programme materials or SHWP manuals).
Using insights from this needs assessment, the research team (including the peer educators or NGO workers collaborating on the ground) will facilitate a workshop with students and teachers to co-design an intervention module. This module may involve introducing trauma-informed teaching strategies (e.g. mindfulness exercises, a confidential question box, restorative circles) and interactive CSE sessions (using age-appropriate storytelling, Q&A, etc.). The process and feedback from this pilot intervention will be documented via field notes, and some of these real stories and dialogues (with consent and anonymity) will shape the script of the creative short film.
The short film thus doubles as a method of data presentation – a form of ethnodrama that weaves together actual themes and questions raised by participants. Creating the film is part of the participatory approach, as interested students will be engaged in brainstorming and perhaps acting (with necessary safeguarding in place). This empowers the youth to voice their experiences. Triangulation of data from interviews, observations, and the creative process will allow a rich qualitative analysis. We will analyze the data thematically – looking for emerging themes such as “fear and stigma around menstruation”,“impact of corporal punishment vs. compassionate disciplinary approaches”, or “students’ strategies for coping with stress” – and relate these to existing literature on adolescent development, trauma, and health education. The final research article will present these findings and insights, while the creative project will humanize the data for a wider audience.
References
1. Ministry of Women and Child Development (Government of India). Study on Child Abuse: India 2007– Key Findings (New Delhi: MWCD, 2007). [1]
2. UNESCO (2025). 15 Million Learners, One Mission: School Health and Wellness Programme – Project brief on the national initiative integrating health, emotional well-being and sex education in schools[8][14].
3. UNESCO (2024). Comprehensive Sexuality Education: For Healthy, Informed and Empowered Learners – International technical guidance highlighting benefits of age-appropriate sexuality education[5][2].
4. INEE/UNESCO/UNICEF/Malala Fund (2025). COVID-19 and Girls’ Education – Report noting 11–20 million secondary school girls may not return post-pandemic due to increased care burdens, early marriage, etc.[15][16].
5. UNICEF (2021). Press Release: 10 Million Additional Girls at Risk of Child Marriage due to COVID-19 – Warns that pandemic-related disruptions could reverse progress on ending child marriage[17][18].
Timeline:
– July–August 2025: Literature review; liaising with school and community leaders in the target urban slum area; obtaining permissions and building rapport.
– Late August 2025: Conduct initial field visits, in-depth interviews with teachers and preliminary focus group with adolescent girls to gather stories and baseline information.
– September 2025: Main phase of qualitative fieldwork – hold multiple focus group discussions (separately with girls, boys), stakeholder interviews (including with a local health clinic counselor or NGO peer educator); concurrently begin collaborative workshops with students and teachers to design the trauma-informed SEL+CSE intervention activities.
– Early October 2025: Implement a short pilot of the integrated curriculum activities in the school (e.g. a few special sessions or exercises led by the researcher and teacher together). Collect feedback and observe changes (if any) in student engagement. Start scripting the short film based on real scenarios and quotes collected (ensure ethical anonymity).
– Mid-October 2025: Produce the creative project – filming the short film with the help of volunteer actors (possibly students or local youth theater group) and simple equipment. Edit and finalize the 3–4 minute video. Simultaneously, analyze research findings and begin drafting the research article chapter, aligning key findings with policy implications.
– October 26, 2025: Presentation of the creative project during the fellowship course – deliver a PPT summarizing the research process and policy relevance, and screen the short film to the cohort and panel. Gather any feedback.
– Late October–November 2025: Refine the written research article (incorporate feedback from presentation). Submit the final chapter and any multimedia elements to IMPRI for the anthology publication. Prepare for any additional dissemination, such as sharing the short film with education stakeholders or online platforms to advocate for policy change in curriculum design.
About the Contributor: Sabitri is a West Bengal-based social worker, mental-health practitioner and social researcher. She facilitates movement and expressive-arts community circles to advance trauma-informed socio-emotional learning and comprehensive sexuality education in community learning spaces. She partners with NGOs and CSR programs on qualitative studies, centering informed consent, body literacy, self-compassion, and equity-focused policy advocacy.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
Acknowledgement: This article was posted by Aashvee Prisha, a research intern at IMPRI.
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