Children who are exposed to traumatic life events are at significant risk for developing serious and long-lasting problems across multiple areas of development. However, children are far more likely to exhibit resilience to childhood trauma when child-serving programs, institutions, and service systems understand the impact of childhood trauma, share common ways to talk and think about trauma, and thoroughly integrate effective practices and policies to address it—an approach often referred to as trauma-informed care (TIC).
TIC is not the sole responsibility or purview of mental health…
Parents who are involved with child welfare services (CWSI) often have a history of childhood adversity and depressive symptoms. Both affect parenting quality, which in turn influences child adaptive functioning. We tested a model of the relations between parental depression and child regulatory outcomes first proposed by K. Lyons-Ruth, R. Wolfe, A. Lyubchik, and R. Steingard (2002). We hypothesized that both parental depression and parenting quality mediate the effects of parental early adversity on offspring regulatory outcomes. Participants were 123 CWSI parents and their toddlers assessed…
Fact Sheet, Brief
Children and youth who have been abused or neglected need safe, stable, and nurturing relationships and environments to recover from the trauma they've experienced. If you are parenting a child or youth with a history of abuse or neglect, you might have questions about the impacts and how you can help your child heal. This factsheet is intended to help parents (birth, foster, and adoptive) and other caregivers better understand the challenges of caring for a child or youth who has experienced maltreatment and learn about available resources for support. (Author abstract)
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Journal Article This article introduces a special issue that is intended to move beyond the spanking debate and cultivate innovative discussion and research that will move the child welfare field forward and in a direction that will benefit children and families. It reviews the definitions of the physical punishment of children and shares research results that demonstrate the harmful effects of spanking. It then notes following articles that address the designation of spanking as an adverse childhood event, legal bans in relation to parental beliefs and attitudes toward spanking, professionals' endorsement…
This book establishes a safe environment where fathers-to-be, fathers, and father figures can receive support – in the comfort of their own homes or in a group setting – in exploring their fears and past traumatic experiences and how these may impact their role as fathers. Through a series of reflective exercises and messages, the intervention works to help fathers overcome the past and discover their full caring potential, so that they can positively engage with their children and families throughout each phase of parenthood. The intervention, authored by Fathers’ Uplift CEO and Founder…
This infographic looks at what adverse child experiences (ACEs) are, who participated in the initial ACE study, and the effects on individuals and society. Part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's VetoViolence violence prevention initiative.
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Journal Article Although maltreatment is a known risk factor for multiple adverse outcomes across the lifespan, its effects on cognitive development, especially memory, are poorly understood. Using data from a large, nationally representative sample of young adults (Add Health), we examined the effects of physical and sexual abuse on working and short-term memory in adulthood. We examined the association between exposure to maltreatment as well as its timing of first onset after adjusting for covariates. Of our sample, 16.50% of respondents were exposed to physical abuse and 4.36% to sexual abuse by age 17.…
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Journal Article Previous research has identified several individual-level factors that modify the risk of childhood trauma on adult psychiatric symptoms, including symptoms of major depression (MD) and posttraumatic stress (PTS). Neighborhood-level factors also influence the impact of individual-level exposures on adult psychopathology. However, no prior studies to our knowledge have explored cross-level interactions between childhood trauma and neighborhood-level factors on MD and PTS symptoms. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore cross-level interactions between a neighborhood-level factor –…
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Journal Article Childhood violence exposure (CVE) in formative developmental years may have potent effects on severity and complexity of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in adulthood, yet little research has examined the role of age of first exposure in the context of polyvictimization or gone beyond an examination of direct effects. The current study examines the specific associations between age of first exposure, total CVE, and posttraumatic stress symptoms in adulthood. Further, the conditional and indirect effects of age of first exposure on posttraumatic stress symptoms were examined. We…
This fact sheet explains that resilience is the ability of a child to recover and show early and effective adaptation following a potentially traumatic event. Information is provided on types of traumatic events for children, characteristics of resilient children, factors that might enhance resilience in children after traumatic events, and how systems in which children live affect resilience. Initial steps for enhancing recovery during treatment and services are discussed. 11 references.
