THE VIOLENCE OF DESPAIR - CONSULTATION TO A HEADSTART PROGRAM FOLLOWING THE LOS-ANGELES UPRISING OF 1992

This paper describes an acute trauma consultation to one Los Angeles H eadStart program following the severe civil disturbance in the spring of 1992. By self-report, 7% (3/42) of the teachers had severe post-tra umatic stress symptoms, and 29% (21/42) had moderate symptoms one mont h after the event. Teachers, comparing behavior following the disturba nce to behavior two weeks before, reported statistically significant i ncreases in the students' aggression and noise level, and decreases in ''getting along'' with peers and academic progress. Difficulties enco untered in this type of community psychiatric consultation are discuss ed.