For a growing number of educators, researchers and advocates, helping children and families heal from child trauma means talking about a subject that makes many Americans uncomfortable: racism.
In recent years, the idea of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has gained traction in child-serving organizations as a way to understand behavioral issues and poor health outcomes faced by children with traumatic life experiences, such as abuse, neglect or household dysfunction, like having an incarcerated parent. The growth of trauma-informed services is part of a continuing push to help children overcome these experiences.
But some advocates say that until communities and individuals contend with historical trauma ā the psychological result of repeatedly experiencing discrimination, both personally and across generations ā efforts to blunt the impact of childhood trauma may come up short.
At a recent conference organized by Echo Parenting and Education on healing from social and historical trauma, California Endowment President and CEO Robert Ross described the central role of childhood trauma to understanding health issues like depression, smoking and drug abuse as well as high rates of incarceration.
[For more of this story, written by Jeremy Loudenback, go to http://www.socialjusticesoluti...e-historical-trauma/]
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