By Rachel Garlinghouse, Scary Mommy, May 11, 2020
When I first heard pediatrician and California’s current surgeon general Dr. Nadine Burke Harris speak about Adverse Childhood Experiences, I was floored. Her TED Talk has been viewed well over 7 million times to date and for very good reason. Adverse Childhood Experiences are traumatic events that occur in childhood that are responsible for a slew of mental, physical, and social problems, and they are pervasive. Dr. Harris reports in her TED Talk that 68% of people surveyed have had at least one ACE. The higher the ACE score, the worse the health outcomes.
What about for our children? Is it possible that being in quarantine as the result of a global pandemic is leading every single child to experience an ACE? It sounds extreme and frightening, but perhaps it’s a reality we need to prepare ourselves for. Scary Mommy checked with the experts to get their take on COVID-19 and our children’s well-being.
The CDC reports that an Adverse Childhood Experience, also known as an ACE, refers to “potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood.” This includes personally experiencing or witnessing violence, experiencing abuse or neglect, or a family member attempting or dying by suicide. Within a child’s household, there might be substance abuse, mental health issues, or separation from a parent who is in prison.
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