Elevated Adverse Childhood Experiences scores: Associations with contact with social services, witnessing domestic violence and entitlement to free school meals

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor Spratt
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
School Meals ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Free School ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Witnessing Domestic Violence

scholarly journals Being at the Bottom Rung of the Ladder in an Unequal Society: A Qualitative Analysis of Stories of People without a Home

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 4620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mabhala ◽  
Yohannes
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Homeless People ◽  
Theoretical Explanation ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
North West ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Social Goods ◽  
The Government

Background: Homelessness is rising in the United Kingdom, despite investment in measures to eradicate it made by the government and charity organisations. Aim: The aim is to examine the stories of homeless people in order to document their perceptions of their social status, the reasons that led to their homelessness, and propose a conceptual explanation. Method: We conducted 26 semi-structured interviews in three centres for homeless people in Cheshire, North West of England. Results: Three categories—education, employment, and health—emerged from the data and provided a theoretical explanation for the reasons that led to their homelessness. These are vital not only for the successful negotiation of one’s way out of homelessness, but also for achieving other social goods, including social connections, social mobility, and engaging in positive social relationships. Conclusion: Participants catalogued the adverse childhood experiences, which they believe limited their capacity to meaningfully engage with the social institution for social goods, such as education, social services, and institutions of employment. Since not all people who have misfortunes of poor education, poor health, and loss of job end up being homeless, we contend that a combination of these with multiple adverse childhood experiences may have weakened their resilience to traumatic life changes, such as loss of job and poor health.

scholarly journals GRANDPARENTS’ ROLES IN THE CONTEXT OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES: THE VOICES OF EMERGING ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S628-S628
Author(s):  
Athena Chung Yin Chan ◽  
Doris Leung ◽  
Bessie Chan ◽  
Grace Wing Ka Ho
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Cultural Patterns ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Childhood Adversities ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Living Together ◽  
Witnessing Domestic Violence

Abstract The influence of grandparents, in the context of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), is largely understudied. With strong kinship in Asian families, grandparents may provide a crucial resource to their grandchildren; not limited to those living together, but having close emotional proximity. This qualitative study used secondary analysis to explore the roles of grandparents, upon reflection of participants’ childhood adversities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 emerging adults, between 18 and 24 years old in Hong Kong, China. Participants were eligible if they: (1) reported at least one ACE, namely, abuse (physical, emotional, sexual), neglect (physical, emotional), witnessing domestic violence, or a dysfunctional household (due to parental divorce/death, household member substance use, incarceration, mental illness); and (2) described their interactions with grandparents during the interviews. Participants were asked to think of a challenging time during their childhood, and strategies they used to overcome them. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data regarding the interactions with grandparents were coded and analyzed by four researchers following interpretive description. Preliminary findings described four primary roles grandparents played in the context of ACEs, which were sometimes positive and/or negative. Grandparents were portrayed as being unique persons in participants’ lives that influenced how they faced their childhood adversities. We will discuss how grandparents’ stewardship may significantly shape cultural patterns of how families cope with ACEs. In particular, our findings, examined against literature, will discuss how grandparents may enhance resilience of young people with ACEs.

scholarly journals Families in the COVID-19 pandemic: parental stress, parent mental health and the occurrence of adverse childhood experiences—results of a representative survey in Germany

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Calvano ◽  
Lara Engelke ◽  
Jessica Di Bella ◽  
Jana Kindermann ◽  
Babette Renneberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Parental Stress ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Target Point ◽  
Representative Survey ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
Related Stress ◽  
Witnessing Domestic Violence

AbstractParenting during the COVID-19 pandemic is highly challenging, with parents having to meet various demands simultaneously. An increase in adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has been widely predicted, but empirical evidence is still scarce. This study aimed to (1) generate representative data on pandemic-related stress, parental stress, general stress, parental subjective and mental health, and the occurrence of ACEs; (2) identify risk factors for an increase in ACEs, and (3) provide qualitative data on parents’ experiences. A representative survey was conducted in Germany in August 2020 with 1024 parents of underage children (Mage = 41.70, 50.9% female). More than 50% of parents reported being stressed by social distancing and the closure of schools and childcare facilities. Parental stress increased significantly during the pandemic (d = 0.21). Subgroups of parents also reported very high levels of depressive symptoms (12.3%) and anxiety (9.7%). Up to one-third of the sample reported ACEs in the child’s lifetime. In this group, 29.1% reported an increase in children witnessing domestic violence during the pandemic, and 42.2% an increase verbal emotional abuse. These families were characterized by higher parental stress, job losses, and younger parent and child age. Positive aspects of the pandemic related primarily to personal or family life (e.g. slower pace of life, increase in family time). While some parents coped well, a particularly negative pattern was observed in a subgroup of families that experienced an increase in ACEs. Parental stress emerged as important target point for interventions addressing the negative sequelae of the pandemic.

scholarly journals Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Among Prolific Young Robbery Offenders in London: Targeting Treatment for Desistance?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine Hilder ◽  
Heather Strang ◽  
Sumit Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Behavioural Therapies

Abstract Research Question How prevalent are various types of adverse childhood experiences among prolific young robbery offenders in London, with what implications for treatment and desistance of these people from serious offending? Data Of the 1249 suspects under 26 years of age who were arrested for robberies in London in 2019, 81 (6.5%) of them had been arrested for four or more robberies, totalling 24% of all robbery arrests of that age group (465 out of 1936). Of those 81 arrestees, 65 of them (80%) percent had used a knife or threatened with a knife to commit their crime. In total, the 81 had criminal histories as suspects in 939 offences covering 34 offence types, most commonly theft from person (201), possession of drugs (164) and violence with injury (89). Methods This study gathered extensive life history data for the 81, with a special emphasis on adverse childhood experiences (ACE) including criminal victimisation by parents or other adults. The analysis compares the prevalence of ACE in the most prolific young robbery suspects to prevalence in general population samples. Findings The 81 prolific robbery offenders had extremely high prevalence of ACEs: 80% had previously been victims of crime themselves (highest offence categories assault with bodily harm, robbery and domestic violence). Reported to police as missing is 63%, school exclusions 49%, incarceration of a family member 35% and known to social services 91%. The prevalence of 4 or more ACEs among the 81 prolific robbery offenders is two to five times higher than it is in other estimates for London (random sample) or England (children in need). Conclusions A substantial proportion of all London arrests for robbery identify young people with disproportionately high levels of adverse childhood experiences. Most of the ACEs are to some extent treatable by cognitive behavioural therapies and related treatments aimed at post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One possible pathway to promote desistance from high-harm crime in this population may be the development and testing of a police role in helping to ensure that these few most chronic, high-harm arrestees received effective treatment for the consequences of ACEs.

scholarly journals Configurations of Adult Attachment, Indicators of Mental Health and Adverse Childhood Experiences in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13385
Author(s):  
María Dolores Méndez-Méndez ◽  
Yolanda Fontanil ◽  
Yolanda Martín-Higarza ◽  
Natalia Fernández-Álvarez ◽  
Esteban Ezama
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Adult Attachment ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between adverse childhood experiences, attachment and adult mental health has been pointed out in a large amount of studies. In a sample of 339 women receiving support from mental health and social services, this research analyzed the association between three adult attachment variables (fear of rejection or abandonment—FRA; desire for closeness—DC; preference for independence—PI) and four mental health indicators. After dichotomizing these variables, we constructed eight configurations of attachment and examined their association with mental health indicators. BAB people (those below the median in FRA, above in DC and below in PI) obtained the most favorable scores in mental health, whereas the ABA configuration (above the median in FRA, below in DC and above in PI) was the least favorable. The association between attachment configurations and mental health indicators was different to what might be expected, aggregating the effects of individual attachment variables. When analyzing the relationship between configurations and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), women with an ABA configuration reported the highest number of ACEs and eight ACE types had a higher-than-expected contingency coefficient. In conclusion, these findings suggest that certain adult attachment configurations are associated with a greater number of ACEs and poorer mental health indicators in adult women.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Social Work: Relationship-based Practice Responses

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Frederick ◽  
Trevor Spratt ◽  
John Devaney
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood ◽  
The Social ◽  
Fundamental Misunderstanding

Abstract Individuals with higher numbers of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been found to be overrepresented amongst users of social services. This poses challenges for service providers in seeking ways to incorporate knowledge about ACEs in the calibration of service provision, and for social workers as to how they might use such knowledge in their day-to-day practice. The key contribution of this article is as a position piece that aims to map out a possible response to the ACEs evidence from social work. Practice needs to be informed by an understanding of the causes and consequences of trauma in the lives of individuals and groups. Short-term interventions based on proximal causes have resulted in a fundamental misunderstanding as to the aetiology of the problems experienced and to the types of interventions required to facilitate their amelioration. ACEs research offers a new understanding of how connecting trajectories are formed and maintained in ways that integrate biological, psychological and sociological concepts. In this article, we have made selective use of key texts and studies in the social work literature to illustrate how relationship-based social work may be appropriated and repurposed to align with interventions to mitigate the effects of ACEs.

Risk-Taking Propensity and Sensation Seeking in Survivors of Adverse Childhood Experiences

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051987603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Babad ◽  
Amanda Zwilling ◽  
Kaitlin Walsh Carson ◽  
Victoria Fairchild ◽  
Shanna Razak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Family Member ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Mentally Ill ◽  
Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽  
Sensation Seeking ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Adverse Childhood

Risk-taking propensity and sensation seeking are developmentally meaningful traits for emerging adults, individuals ages 18 to 25 years. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) of childhood abuse and neglect, exposure to domestic violence, residing with a substance abusing or mentally ill caregiver, and growing up with an incarcerated family member negatively impact the well-being of emerging adults. However, the specific association between ACEs and risk-taking propensity and sensation seeking has not been previously examined in this age group. This study aims to determine whether ACEs are individually or cumulatively related to risk-taking propensity (assessed by the Domain-Specific Risk-Taking Scale) and sensation seeking (assessed by the Behavior Inhibition System/Behavior Approach System Scales) in a diverse sample of undergraduates, n = 436; Mage = 19.73 years ( SD = 1.83 years); 67% female; 22% Hispanic. Multivariate ordinary least squares regressions were run to examine the association between ACEs and risk-taking propensity and sensation seeking. Individually, emotional abuse predicted greater inhibition ( B = .28, p < .001), growing up with a mentally ill family member ( B = –.12, p < .05) and emotional neglect ( B = –.13, p < .05) predicted reduced motivation to pursue rewarding cues, and emotional neglect ( B = –.12, p < .05) and witnessing domestic violence ( B = –.10, p < .05) predicted less reward responsiveness. No cumulative effects were found. ACEs related to environmental instability may have a unique impact on sensation seeking domains in emerging adults. Clarifying the role of sensation seeking in emerging adults can contribute to better understanding of risk and resilience factors in this vulnerable population.

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