The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
(Cite as: 33 V.S.A. § 3402)
-
§ 3402. Definitions
As used in this chapter:
(1) “Childhood adversity” means experiences that may be traumatic to children and youths
during the first 18 years of life, such as experiencing violence or other emotionally
disturbing exposures in their homes or communities.
(2) “Resilience” means the ability to respond to, withstand, and recover from serious
hardship with coping skills and a combination of protective factors, including a strong
community, family support, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development,
concrete support in times of need, and social and emotional competence of children.
(3) “Toxic stress” means strong, frequent, or prolonged experience of adversity without
adequate support.
(4) “Trauma-informed” means a type of program, organization, or system that recognizes
the widespread impact of trauma and potential paths for recovery; recognizes the signs
and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved in a system;
responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and
practices; and seeks actively to resist retraumatization and build resilience among
the population served. (Added 2017, No. 204 (Adj. Sess.), § 3.)