Preventing adverse childhood experiences

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years) such as experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect; witnessing violence in the home; or having a family member attempt or die by suicide.

Jan 21, 2022

Unsplash/Bipin Saxena

                            Heart, Mind and Soul Fr Philip Chua

What are adverse childhood experiences?
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years) such as experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect; witnessing violence in the home; or having a family member attempt or die by suicide.

Also included are aspects of the child’s environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability and bonding such as growing up in a household with substance abuse, mental health problems, or instability due to parental separation or the incarceration of a parent, sibling or other member of the household.

Traumatic events in childhood can be emotionally painful or distressing and can have effects that persist for years. Factors such as the nature, frequency and seriousness of the traumatic event, prior history of trauma, and available family and community support can shape a child’s response to trauma.

ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance use problems in adulthood. ACEs can also negatively impact education, job opportunities, and earning potential. However, ACEs can be prevented.

Please note that the examples above are not meant to be a complete list of adverse experiences. There are many other traumatic experiences that could impact health and wellbeing.

How big is the problem?
ACEs are common. An estimated 62 per cent of adults surveyed across 23 states in US reported that they had experienced one ACE during childhood and nearly one-quarter reported that they had experienced three or more ACEs.

ACEs can have negative, lasting effects on health, wellbeing, and opportunity. These exposures can disrupt healthy brain development, affect social development, compromise immune systems, and can lead to substance misuse and other unhealthy coping behaviours.

The evidence confirms that these exposures increase the risks of injury, sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, mental health problems, maternal and child health problems, teen pregnancy, involvement in sex trafficking, a wide range of chronic diseases and the leading causes of death such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and suicide.

ACEs can also negatively impact education, employment, and earning potential. The total economic and social costs to families, communities, and society is in the hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

Preventing ACEs could potentially reduce a large number of health conditions. For example, up to 1.9 million cases of heart disease and 21 million cases of depression could have been potentially avoided by preventing ACEs.

Some children are at greater risk than others. Women and several racial/ethnic minority groups were at greater risk for having experienced four or more types of ACEs.

ACEs are costly. The economic and social costs to families, communities, and society totals hundreds of billions of Ringgits each year.

What are the consequences?
ACEs and associated social determinants of health, such as living in under-resourced or racially segregated neighbourhoods, frequently moving, and experiencing food insecurity, can cause toxic stress (extended or prolonged stress).

Toxic stress from ACEs can change brain development and affect such things as attention, decision-making, learning, and response to stress.

Children growing up with toxic stress may have difficulty forming healthy and stable relationships. They may also have unstable work histories as adults and struggle with finances, jobs, and depression throughout life. These effects can also be passed on to their own children. Some children may face further exposure to toxic stress from historical and ongoing traumas due to systemic racism or the impacts of poverty resulting from limited educational and economic opportunities.

How can we prevent adverse childhood experiences?
ACEs are preventable. There are a number of factors that may increase or decrease the risk of perpetrating and/or experiencing violence. To prevent ACEs, we must understand and address the factors that put people at risk for, or protect them from, violence.

Creating and sustaining safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children and families can prevent ACEs and help all children reach their full potential.

There are several strategies that can prevent ACEs from happening in the first place, as well as strategies to mitigate the harm of ACEs. These include:

-- Strengthening economic support for families. 
-- Promoting social norms that protect against violence and adversity.
-- Ensuring a strong start for children and paving the way for them to reach their full potential. 
-- Teaching skills to help parents and youth handle stress, manage emotions, and tackle everyday challenges.

Raising awareness of ACEs can help:
a. Change how people think about the causes of ACEs and who could help prevent them.
b. Shift the focus from individual responsibility to community solutions.
c. Reduce stigma around seeking help with parenting challenges or for substance misuse, depression, or suicidal thoughts.
d. Promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments where children live, learn, and play.

Let’s help all children reach their full potential and create Malaysian neighbourhoods, communities, and a world in which every child can thrive.

-- Fr Philip Chua a licensed counselor & clinical supervisor (LKM) is the Ecclesiastical Assistant for the Archdiocesan Mental Health Ministry. He can be contacted at: philip@ archkl.org

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