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Question of the Month - Is Child Adversity Linked to Ethnicity?

 

Hi Community! Here in Trinidad and Tobago, we are probably more diverse in terms of ethnicity than many of our Caribbean neighbours - a callaloo of sorts (Remember the national anthem proclaims:"...Here every creed and race find an equal place...")

https://www.caribvision.tv/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/cp-callaloo.jpg

Well, research overseas shows that there is a difference in how children experience adversity based on their ethnicity. In the USA in particular, there are neighbourhoods that are predominantly white and others where the majority of persons are black or brown. These colour compositions tend to be reflective of affluence as well.

While anyone can experience adversity within the family regardless of whether they are white middle-aged men from the suburbs (the original ACEs study reflects this) or black and brown people from a ghetto, how persons are impacted by other "ACEs" such as Adverse Community Environments will largely depend on these aesthetic and economic dynamics. [The original ACEs study did not consider racism, bullying, and community violence. However, these and other factors were added to later ACE surveys.]

There is research that suggests the existence of racial disparities in child adversity in the U.S.A. It identifies interactions with factors such as family immigration history and income. A copy of the report is attached.

What do you see in your Caribbean territory? Tell us what the ethnic diversity is like in your nation. How do you see ethnicity playing a role in how children experience and recover from adversity? Are there other factors you think are more important than ethnicity in this dynamic? Do you know of any Caribbean data that addressed this issue?

Post in the comments below and let us know what you think.

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