Written by Paige Cox, YCRH member.
There is always a reason why children may act the way they do. This is so important to remember when you are working with children. When a child is exposed to Toxic stress or Adverse Childhood experiences, it often may show in their behaviour. Some of these behavioural indicators are (Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Childhood Trauma, n.d.):
Difficulty showing affection
Difficulty learning in school
Avoiding situations or events related to the traumatic experience
Bedwetting
Changes to their mood
Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
Fear of other people
So what are ACEs, and why are they important to consider when working with youth?
Initial Adverse Childhood Experiences Study:
ACEs came from an original study from 1995 to 1997 and consisted of 2 waves of data study conducted at Kaiser Permanente. (About the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC, 2024) When the original study was conducted, they focused on three separate categories: "psychological abuse (2 questions), physical abuse (2 questions), or contact sexual abuse (4 questions)"(Felitti et al., 1998) It is within these categories that they looked into the ACEs the child was experiencing.
There are ten main ACEs in the article by Integrative Life Center, which list the 10 central ACEs and other things that can be considered ACEs. The list was retrieved from (Center, 2021)
· Physical Abuse
o Causing physical harm to a child by hitting, kicking, punching, scratching, beating, burning, throwing, or stabbing. It can result in injuries like bruises, cuts, and fractured or broken bones.
· Sexual Abuse
o Engaging in sexual behaviour with a child, sexual exploitation of a child, or exposing oneself indecently to a child. This includes using a child in prostitution or pornography.
· Verbal Abuse
o Using the voice and words to scream, yell, curse at, assault, or manipulate a child.
· Physical Neglect
o Failing to provide a child’s basic needs, such as food, water, and shelter. This also includes failing to give a child proper medical care, providing clean clothes, or giving proper supervision.
· Emotional Neglect
o Behaving in a way that causes a child emotional harm and interferes with their mental health. This neglect can include ridiculing, blaming, threatening, isolating, or rejecting the child.
· Mental Health
o A household member with a mental illness that impacts their ability to provide proper care for the child or has a profound impact on the child. This experience could be depression, a household member attempting suicide, or other mental illnesses.
· Substance Addiction
o A household member who is addicted to alcohol or another substance. The addiction can cause a caregiver to prioritize substance use over caring for the child.
· Imprisonment
o A household member who is incarcerated. It can cause a child to feel abandoned when the person leaves them. The person may also have modelled inappropriate behaviours before being imprisoned.
· Witnessing Abuse
o Seeing violence, specifically against a mother, is particularly traumatizing because children tend to form a stronger attachment to a mother figure. It is difficult to watch a loved one’s abuse, and they may feel helpless because they cannot intervene.
· Losing a Parent to Separation, Divorce, or Death
o When a vital figure is removed from a child’s life, it can cause significant distress and feelings of abandonment.
Trauma can also occur outside these categories and impact a child’s development and adult life. Researchers have begun including other types of experiences as they create the same biological changes as the original ACEs.
Other types of adverse experiences that happen to young people include:
· Bullying
· Racism
· Community violence
· Natural disasters
· Refugee/wartime experiences
· Witnessing/experiencing acts of terrorism
· Homelessness
· Food insecurity
But just because you experience these things, does it mean you are doomed? No. So many adults have experienced ACEs at one time or another. I lived through Hurricane Fiona, which struck my area and left my house without power for a week. It is so important to understand that ACEs are not unusual in our society and can affect anyone regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, education, race, income, heritage, culture, etc. (Gentile, n.d.).
What can someone do to help prevent the effects of toxic stress? The website from Harvard states, “Likewise, fostering strong, responsive relationships between children and their caregivers, and helping children and adults build core life skills, can help to buffer a child from the effects of toxic stress.” (What Are ACEs?, n.d.) It is so important to remember that just because you have these experiences does not mean you are broken or beyond help, but rather that you can still overcome your trauma and break the cycle.
References
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) & Childhood Trauma. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved April 12, 2024, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/24875-adverse-childhood-experiences-ace
About the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC. (2024, January 29). https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html
Center, I. L. (2021, December 14). What are the 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences. Integrative Life Center. https://integrativelifecenter.com/mental-health-treatment/what-are-the-10-adverse-childhood-experiences/
Felitti, V. J., MD, FACP, Anda, R. F., MD, MS, Nordenberg, D., MD, Williamson, D. F., MS, PhD, Spitz, A. M., MS, MPH, Edwards, V., BA, Koss, M. P., PhD, Marks, J. S., MD, & MPH. (1998). Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8
Gentile, S. (n.d.). Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
What Are ACEs? And How Do They Relate to Toxic Stress? (n.d.). Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Retrieved April 13, 2024, fromhttps://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/aces-and-toxic-stress-frequently-asked-questions/