Tagged With "childhood trauma"
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In the Return to "Normalcy" in 2021
Okay, so we all are hearing of the end of life as we have come to know it for the past 14 months. The social isolation, physical distancing, mask-wearing, business shutdowns, country lockdowns, and travel bans are what we in the region have endured since March 2020. The disruption of life from Covid-19 is expected to come to a close as more than one vaccine has been approved and is being used in the Caribbean. As we adults relish in the return to school of our children, our return to gainful...
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When Acknowledgeing Our Family's Failures Is Not Betrayal.
As a child to Caribbean parents, growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, it was rare to see families which did not raise their children with physical and verbal abuse on a regular basis. The conversations we children engaged in with our "best friends" often revealed the dark secrets lurking behind the facades of our picture-perfect family lives. Even in the seeming "best" families, the children faced private, if not public shaming. Some lived in fear of parental outbursts to their childish...
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Linking ACEs to Psychopathy
The issue of Justice is dear to my heart for several reasons. So, in light of the over-use of imprisonment in our region, amidst overburdened or slothful criminal justice systems, I question whether we are "doing justice" when we incarcerate people for what may only be their Trauma Responses. What do I mean? Well, often a criminal investigation does not delve further than the identification of the perpetrator of an alleged and reported crime. Once that is done, if the accused has no or...
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Education Related Resources
With the Covid-19 fallout having its toll on school attendance around the world, many persons of all ages and stages of life have been adversely affected. But it has not only been children who have been impacted. Trauma has arisen through separation from playmates and colleagues, loss of access to food from school feeding programmes, loss of safety from abuse within the household, loss of familiarity with the school environment, loss of employment for non-academic staff, loss of income for...
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Childhood Trauma Clips on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has been known as a source of wholesome, relevant information for decades. (Remember Sesame Street? ) Well, PBS also has videos on childhood trauma that you can access at no cost, even from the Caribbean. Some of the content is designed as a series so you can arrange to view the segments when you have the time. So get the popcorn ready and check out PBS for your free Childhood Trauma-related content. [Clips related to Childhood Trauma on PBS] If you would...
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Find Resources
Hi everyone, one function of this Community is to provide members with helpful and easily accessible resources on various aspects of preventing and addressing childhood and adult trauma. Towards that end, we invite you to peruse and add to the Resources posted here for members. You can access Resources here or from the Top Menu bar. If you would like information about the ACEs Caribbean Community or wish to join this Community, please reach out to me via email at acescaribbean@yahoo.com . I...
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ACEs Clips on PBS
As we established last week, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) has free content on the topic of childhood trauma that you can access even from the Caribbean. Well, what would happen if you search for "adverse childhood experiences" on PBS? You would receive a wider range of content, that's what! Some of the content is designed as a series so you can arrange to view the segments when you have the time. So get another bowl of popcorn ready and check out PBS for your free ACEs-related content.
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"Did You Know?" - Start of a Series
Hey Community! We are planning a series titled, "Did You Know" to highlight some not-too-well-known facts about ACEs science. Along the way, we will bust some myths and educate you, our members, about childhood trauma, resilience, and hope. So if you would like to take part, please comment below and let us know what areas you would like us to cover. Are you in?
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ACEs and Human Trafficking Research
Ten years ago today the Trafficking In Persons Bill of Trinidad and Tobago was laid in the country's Parliament. It was eventually passed, assented to, and became law as the Trafficking In Persons Act, Chapter 12:10. (The Act itself took effect in January 2013.) So to commemorate the anniversary of the introduction of the Bill, we will share one of the first of what we hope will be many resources on the link between childhood trauma and human trafficking. The report, titled " Domestic Sex...
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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..." ) 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...
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Recording Available: Trauma-Responsive Practices During Distance Learning
Hi Community! Did any of you register for the interactive workshop on Advocating for Trauma-Informed Care for Teachers and Caregivers being hosted by Rise to Resilience on March 17? If so then we have a treat for you. Please watch a recording of their previous online workshop titled, Trauma-Responsive Practices During Distance Learning . Learn relationship-building strategies to be trauma-responsive during distance learning as an educator, parent, or other caregiver.
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First Things First
Hi everyone, welcome to ACEs Caribbean Community! (Insert sounds of reggae, soca, steelpan, or tassa here) This is a safe space for all who are interested in addressing issues of childhood trauma, adult trauma, resilience, hope, and related threads. Whether you are a Clinician, Parent, Educator, Researcher, Healthcare practitioner, NGO member, or Government employee, your input to address Trauma is valuable to make the Caribbean a safer place. Our lens is a distinctly Caribbean one because,...
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Help Inform and Transform the Caribbean with ACEs Caribbean Community
Hi there. We recently started the ACEs Caribbean Community on the website, Aces Connection, to rally our Caribbean people and those who love the region to work together to bring the knowledge of Aces Science ( Adverse Childhood Experiences ), Resilience, Hope, and Truth to our regional people and government institutions. We are facing an epidemic of crime, violence, addiction, despair, and suicide throughout the region and we believe that a better understanding of the connection between what...
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Can ACEs Training Help Doctors and Patients During Covid-19?
For more than a year the world has been gripped in the throes of combating the Novel Coronavirus 2019 and over 1 million lives have been lost globally to the disease. In the face of the fear, anxiety, despair and grief which has arisen, a question for those familiar with ACEs science is whether this body of knowledge can help alleviate the prevailing stressors. Here is where Hope steps in. Last month, panelists in an Aces Aware webinar discussed the secondary health effects associated with...
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ACEs Connection Overview
ACES CONNECTION NETWORK OVERVIEW ACEs = Adverse Childhood Experiences 2 SITES ACEsTooHigh.com A solutions-oriented news site for the general public that covers stories on ACEs, trauma, and resilience. ACEsConnection.com An action-based...
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Happy International Women's Day!
International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day observed on March 8 celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. IWD has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people. Today, IWD belongs to all groups collectively everywhere. IWD is not country, group or organization specific. In 2021 the theme is #ChooseToChallenge . Men and...
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Re: #ChooseToChallenge - What leads to a man assaulting a woman or a child?
Yes, this phrasing, versions of which are used in Jamaica too, assumes/suggests that the woman is always 'the victim’. And when we speak of GBV here, in the region, we rarely talk about emotional/verbal abuse. Put that into the equation and we’ll have a much clearer picture of the scale of women’s violence against men and boys in the Caribbean. In many ways, emotional verbal/abuse is just as egregious and harmful as physical abuse by men. In some cases, it is worse. I had a conversation...
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Young Black Men's Mental Health During Covid-19
Research from the UK suggests that men from racialised backgrounds are reporting higher levels of mental distress during the pandemic compared to white men (Proto et al., 2021). Contributing factors include bereavement, loneliness and worries about coronavirus and misinformation.
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How will Covid-19 and Trauma Shape the Lives of Young People?
The New York Times published an article today which features Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, the Surgeon General for California, USA and podcaster Ezra Klein of The Ezra Klein Show where they discuss Covid-19 and the growing evidence that childhood adversities including things like Covid-19 impact us into adulthood. It is an interesting transcript but, if you prefer to use your ears rather than your eyes, the link below has an option to listen to the original podcast.😀 Here are some excerpts...
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FREE Virtual Screening of the Resilience Documentary - 14th to 18th March 2021
Hi everyone! Well, it is Friday afternoon and I am sure as Caribbean people you are as excited as I am for the weekend. If you are missing the movie theatres being open in your country, do not despair because --- we've got you covered for the next few days! So this is BIG news for those who have been looking forward to seeing " Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope ". There will be a FREE virtual screening over a four-day period from Sunday 14th to Thursday 18th March...
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Free Webinar on Trauma and Justice
"Understanding the Role of Trauma in Truth, Reconciliation & Peacebuilding" is the name of a Free webinar from the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation, affiliated with George Mason University in the USA. The webinar will focus on how trauma hinders efforts to heal social divides. It will be held on March 17, 2021 from 4:00pm to 5:30pm via the Zoom platform. Registration is available online at the following Eventbrite link: ...
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Building a Multi-System Trauma-Informed Collaborative.
Since the effects of childhood trauma do not play out in isolation, an effective response to child trauma should benefit not only children but the communities in which they live. This feeds into what we know from studies about factors that impact a child's growth - they occur within the family, community and also are climate-related. Multiple studies reveal the extremely high percentage of youth in contact with the law and under the care of social services who have been exposed to violence...
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UK 'Punishing Abuse' Report Finds Many Justice-Involved Youth have Trauma Histories.
A published study from West Midlands in the United Kingdom, titled "Punishing Abuse", has confirmed what many have long suspected - many youth are being punished in the criminal justice system for acting out in the aftermath of childhood trauma. It looked at 80 youth, 67 of whom were male, and many of whom were of Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) heritage. They included White and Black Caribbean youth, some of whome were born in and others whose parents came from the Caribbean island...
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How do we do #SmartJustice?
What is social justice? What is smart justice? How do these terms intersect with adversity in childhood, trauma, and resilience? All interesting questions which are answered in one stunning webinar conducted over 90 minutes and done by Community Justice Scotland . The webinar brings forth insights of credible and experienced people like Fr. Gregory Boyle, who founded Homeboy Industries in the USA over 30 years ago, and Sir Harry Burns, former Professor of Global Public Health. The link to...
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How Trauma Affects the Body.
In a post on the website, Aces Aware, California paediatrician, Dr. Eric Bell shares how he and his family experienced Trauma after the death of a pet, which was a close member of their family. As a doctor, he was aware of his physical, emotional and other symptoms and is able to clearly articulate these as well as the benefits he and his family derived from implementing protective factors, stress-busting strategies and using other resilience building tools. We love how he is able to use his...
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Is There A Link between ACEs and Human Trafficking?
Today is March 25th and - just in case you have no clue why that date is significant to us in the Caribbean - it marks the anniversary of the Slave Trade Act of 1807 by which the British Parliament abolished the trade in slaves in the British Empire. (If you are not a student of history, you can read the Wikipedia version here .) True, the abolition of the institution of slavery itself occurred nearly 30 years later but this 1807 legislation was a proverbial "nail in the coffin" for slavery...
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How Trauma-Informed Care Can Prevent Youth Incarceration
Last week we looked at 'Punishing Abuse', a report which showed that the majority of youth offenders in a research done in West Midlands, UK had a history of childhood abuse and trauma. Today's post examines this from a US state perspective, through the audio accounts of former juveniles in conflict with the law. Please take a listen to them as they discuss their childhood adversities and later criminal involvement. Also interviewed is a clinician who shares how Trauma-Informed Care can...
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Kids Need More Time with Grandparents
In the article linked to below, there is an evidence-based solution being out forward to raise emotionally healthy children. In a 2011 Brigham Young University study, children in both two-parent and single-parent homes who felt close to at least one grandparent exhibited "higher pro-social behavior." (Pro-social behaviors tend to benefit others: helping, sharing, donating, volunteering, cooperating, etc.) "The bottom line," the researchers say, "is that grandparents have a positive influence...
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When Oppression Becomes Competition.
Big Shout-Out to @Real_Toons on Instagram who creates these amazing cartoons and sparks a series of interesting discussions. While the cartoon is framed with a Black man and a Black woman from America, the question I want to raise here is "Do we see this in our discussions around ACEs?" The outcry against racial injustice in 2020 has triggered multiple events which reminded some and gave a platform for many to highlight the generational trauma inherent in slavery. However atrocious that...
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Interesting Weekend Tweet.
For us in the Caribbean, there is a tendency to cover up sex crimes committed against children by their relatives. When the offence is made known, the first call is seldom to the police but to other relatives. This is often done to strategize how to preserve the family's reputation (albeit at the expense of the child's mental and physical health), may be motivated by a false sense of protection to spare the child the shame of the offence being made public, or to confer some benefits upon the...
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Why Call It Good?
That question was posed by a male relative as he sat teary-eyed and sad. To what was he referring? "Good Friday" which we celebrate today in Trinidad and Tobago and in many other Caribbean countries. His sincere concern: "How could a day which marks the brutal torture and death of Jesus Christ - who gave His life for the world out of His Love - ever be called "good"?" At the time, the explanation which he received was enough to satisfy him and change his demeanor. The death (and...
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What's On Your Short List?
There is an interesting course on Coursera on "Resilience in Children Exposed to Trauma, Disaster and War". It is quite broad in scope and has a lot of helpful information for us in this field. One of the many things I found to be of value is to learn that across the decades of research, there is a consistent group of factors proved to help children from various cultures. Below is a link to a video from the course which outlines a short list of what makes a difference in helping children who...
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Free Trauma-Informed Law Webinar
Hello everyone! One of the core areas in which we need to see a transformation is in the Justice system - from the point of arrest all the way through to reentry. As we've shared previously, there is ample research from the original 1998 ACEs study through to recent times which indicates the majority of persons in conflict with the law have multiple ACEs. So if you're interested in learning how Trauma Informed principles can be used to transform Justice, please register for the free webinar...
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Re: Happening Now! Hello again. The webinar we...
It was quite interesting. A good background on the ACEs study and how law enforcement can do better to respond to calls with trauma in mind. It was hopeful and that makes my heart smile. In many places, police are unprepared to deal with mental health and related challenges in persons with whom they interact. If it reduces death of citizens, improves capacity in the police and other first responders, I'm on board.
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Happening Now! Hello again. The webinar we...
Happening Now! Hello again. The webinar we posted about in the calendar is on right now! Adverse Childhood Experiences: The Importance of Law Enforcement Recognition and Intervention. It's tremendous to see experienced law enforcement officers training their peers in understanding the role childhood adversity plays and how to intervene responsibly. More info is available at the Justice Clearinghouse website. Be sure to check out some of their upcoming webinars which we've posted in our...
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Please Register for A Better Normal 26th March 2021
Tomorrow is going to be amazing as there is an upcoming webinar on A Better Normal which will focus on becoming Trauma-Informed. Please attend this webinar to learn about the groundbreaking research of Positive Childhood Experiences and how this is going to transform the work PACEs Connection is doing. Learn more about the upcoming webinar by reading the post on the Home Page of PACEs Connection -...
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A Nation in Trauma [A newsday.co.tt article]
Mr. Benjamin asked, "Does the cycle of death, trauma, outrage, and dismissal deal with the root causes of the violence which affects each person in T&T?"
"...the nation is full of people whose traumatic childhood experiences have set them on a path that would lead them down violent roads with a fatal end. He said unless T&T puts preventative measures in place to handle childhood trauma, the cycle will continue and T&T will remain a nation in trauma."
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Sex Offenders and High ACE Scores
In the Caribbean and elsewhere, sex offenders tend to be considered the worst of all offenders. If their crime was against a child, then they themselves become targets for violence from other inmates in prison. So it requires a mental adjustment and an objective stance to write about this research. Done by Barry University's Jill Levenson, the title is " Incorporating Principles of Trauma-Informed Care Into Evidence-Based Sex Offending Treatment ". She cites previous research to establish...
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Changing Our Response to Childhood Adversity.
"For generations, we have trained practitioners to consider childhood suffering only through the institutional lens of child protection. Through research on the prevalence of ACEs in our most vulnerable children, it has become clear this approach is not enough." This is the introduction to an online event, "Changing Our Response to Childhood Adversity", to be hosted by The Learning Institute (https://www.learninginstitute.co.uk/) of the UK on 30th June 2021 where they will unveil their...
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Are ACEs Overplayed?
Hello everyone! It's Friday again. To send you into the weekend, we want to ask you to put your thinking caps on. In reading the literature, it is clear that there is no unanimity with respect to the role that the Adverse Childhood Experiences study should have in guiding public health. One nation in which there has been much thought given to the issue is Scotland. In 2019 two advocates squared off to share their respective points of view as to the value of the ACEs research and how best it...
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Rebounding from La Soufriere - Looking Back as We Look Forward.
Good morning Caribbean peoples! As events continue to unfold in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, we want to take a look back to 1979 when the La Soufriere volcano last erupted. At present, volcanic ash covers the islands, electricity has been cut and water supplies have been affected while tens of thousands are being evacuated to safer parts of the main island and to other territories. Life remains unsettled and the experts suggest the volcanic activity may continue for weeks or months.
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La Soufriere now more dangerous, pyroclastic flows have begun. [Newsday article]
The danger posed by the La Soufriere volcano has increased significantly in the past day with the discovery that there have been sightings of pyroclastic flows on the leeward side of the peak. The lead scientist on the scene, vulcanologist/geologist Professor Richard Robertson explained that pyroclastic flows "are not like the ash that damage things by the weight. These flows really are moving masses of destruction, they just destroy everything in their path. If you have the strongest house...
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Did You Remember?
Happy Monday, everyone! We hope the weekend was relaxing and refreshing. So about the image we chose for this blog post. Legend has it that elephants have fantastic memories. They represent the animal with the ability for the longest recall. What were you supposed to remember? Well, the upcoming free webinar from Justice Clearinghouse on "The Empathetic Workplace: Five Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job". It is scheduled for April 21 which is only 2...
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Secret Service Study on Children Who Kill Finds Link to ACEs.
Hello Community. It's Friday again! To kick off the weekend, we want to examine some research from the USA conducted by the Secret Service that has found a link to Adverse Childhood Experiences in youth who plotted or executed mass murders or shootings at school. According to the study, most of the perpetrators were "motivated by grievances against them, usually peers and bullying. Many were suicidal or had depression." Eight had a desire for fame or notoriety. "More than half had been...
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Can We Talk About George Floyd? [Al Jazeera article]
Hi everyone. As everyone knows, the year 2020 was defined by a series of events, many of which linger to this day. Covid-19, as devastating as it and government efforts to curb it have been, may have been eclipsed for a time by the reporting and riots which ensued after the horrific death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in the USA. Last week, the tension of a 3-week trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd ended with a guilty...
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'A lot of grief and anxiety' for kids, youth after living with COVID for 1 year, says psychotherapist. [CBC article]
Around the world, the 1 year anniversary of Covid-19 interrupting our lives was observed in different ways. For many, the concern is for the children and young people who are experiencing Covid-19 as an adverse childhood experience. The clinical observations of a Canadian psychotherapist may well be true for the Caribbean region as it relates to how children are coping one year on. Alyssa Strachan, based at the Delton Glebe Counselling Centre in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada has been helping...
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Wondering Wednesday - Could California's Roadmap to Resilience Help the Caribbean?
Hello everyone and welcome to another Wondering Wednesday. This is where we examine what is working or has been introduced in other parts of the world and explore the value of adapting those ideas and concepts to the Caribbean. Today we are examining some of the components of a report published in December 2020 by the State of California in the USA. Titled "Roadmap for Resilience: The California Surgeon General’s Report on Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Health", it is...
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Technology to the Rescue in Saint Vincent
Good morning, beautiful Caribbean people.😀 With various parts of the main island of Saint Vincent still under the periodic onslaught of the La Soufriere volcano, thousands of people have been relocated to shelters or are seeking refuge on other islands. There is undeniable fear, stress and anxiety affecting many of them from having to flee for their lives from this active volcano. Natural disasters such as these can wreak havoc on people's mental health due to the ongoing Trauma. Therefore,...
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Be What You Did Not Have
Good morning everyone 😀 and welcome to the end of the work week and the end of yet another month. As we move into the weekend, let us be inspired to continue healing from the trauma of what happened to us. Put in the work and know that the sacrifice is worth it. Do not believe that because you had multiple ACEs that you must pass on to your children what you received from your parents. You are the disruptor in the family! Break the cycle and be to your children what you wished you had...