Self-Assessment Quiz Question #4 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019), which of the following are risk factors for abuse for children? (Select all that apply.) a. Younger than 4 years of age. b. Special needs. c. Socioeconomic status. d. Race.
Self-Assessment Quiz Question #5 Financial problems are NOT a caregiver risk factor for abuse. a. True. b. False. Self-Assessment Quiz Question #6
In New York State, statistics show an increase in adults abusing opioids and the effects on children. a. True. b. False. IMPACT OF TRAUMA AND ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACE)
Trauma is “The experience of serious adversity or terror or the emotional or psychological response to that experience” which threatens the person’s sense of safety. The response to the event may cause immediate and long-term reactions such as unpredictable emotions, flashbacks, strained relationships, and/or physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle tension, shallow breathing, or heart palpitations (American Psychological Association, n.d.a). Common traumatic events include: ● Exposure to family or community violence. ● Emotional abuse. ● Sexual abuse. ● Exposure to an accident or natural disaster. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are events that occur in childhood and are potentially traumatic (New York State Mandated Reporter, n.d.b). ACEs include the previously listed traumatic events, but may also include more insidious events such as: ● Living in poverty. ● Neglect. ● Bullying. ● Parental mental illness. ● Loss or separation from a parent or loved one.
data has found that 63.9% of U.S. adults reported at least one ACE and 17.3% reported experience of four or more ACEs (Centers for Disease Control, 2023). With repeated or prolonged ACEs without mitigating protective factors, the child experiences prolonged toxic stress. The stress response stays activated in the child’s body, and chronic changes in concentration, short term memory, breathing, muscle tension, and heart rate may result. This may have lasting life-long effects on the child’s physical and emotional health. Research has found that adults who were exposed to ACEs have higher rates of depression, obesity, substance abuse, anxiety, smoking, and early death (New York State Mandated Reporter, n.d.c). Although experience of trauma and ACEs may not meet criteria for child abuse or maltreatment, their impact on the child’s functioning needs to be assessed and addressed. Young children who experience trauma may : ● Have trouble eating or sleeping. ● Show regression of childhood milestones. ● Demonstrate excessive fear of strangers. ● Demonstrate attachment difficulty. School-age children who experienced trauma may : ● Show aggressive behavior. ● Be unusually withdrawn. ● Re-enact trauma through play or in therapy. ● Have nightmares. ● Have difficulty concentrating.
● Discrimination. ● Incarceration. ● Substance abuse.
ACEs are common across all socioeconomic groups and may be single one-time events or ongoing repeated events. The CDC surveillance
Page 10
EliteLearning.com
Powered by FlippingBook