Childhood Adversity and Developmental Effects PDF

INTRODUCTION

Child protection is a cross-cultural, global concern. It affects children residing in countries and societies regardless of wealth and culture. Child wellbeing is a matter of concern to professionals from an equally wide spectrum, from mental health workers to justice system employees, social workers to policy makers, and physicians to childcare workers.

The statistics are staggering. According to World Health Organization fi gures, approximately 20 percent of women and 5–10 percent of men report being sexually abused as children, while 25–50 percent of all children report being physically abused. Between one-quarter and one-half of all children in the world report severe and frequent physical abuse. Not all trauma is direct; witnessing violence, whether domestic or political, can be just as damaging to children. Between 133 and 275 million children worldwide are estimated to witness domestic violence annually, while even more are traumatized by war: 12 million are left homeless because of war, more than 1 million are orphaned or separated from their parents, and as many as 10 million are psychologically traumatized (UNICEF fi gures, 2006). Developmentally signifi cant adversity may occur in a child's home, school or community setting.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the ravages of war. According to a United Nations study on children in war by Graca Machel, "The physical, sexual and emotional violence to which [children] are exposed shatters their world. War undermines the very foundations of children's lives, destroying their homes, splintering their communities and breaking down their trust in adults." This is truly a developmental trauma, one which will require coordinated and informed efforts from the international community to heal.

Developmental trauma has a long reach, one that extends across many aspects of physical and mental health, beginning with an impact on cellular DNA. In the brain, trauma has a profound impact on the intricate neuronal networks that impact an individual by shaping behavior, evoking emotions, determining reactions to danger, and building relationships with others. Cross-cultural research into brain-body science offers new insights into the impact of early trauma on physical and mental health because of neurobiological and epigenetic changes.

The neurobiology of childhood trauma is now integral to the daily clinical practice of professionals from many fi elds, including educators, social workers, mental health professionals, family and substance abuse counselors, police, caregivers, and criminal justice service providers. Developments in the neurosciences provide insight into the ways in which trauma impacts the emotional, cognitive, social, and biological forces that shape human development. As more and more researchers delve into this issue, professionals from many fi elds can gain new understanding of the ways in which trauma has specifi c consequences for the central nervous system and determination of "self," which has implications for society as a whole. Research offers suggestions and possibilities for helping children recover from the effects of violence, disruption, and neglect. We can use fi ndings from this research to work together, across disciplines and cultures, to build a safer world for our children.

All providers working with children should routinely consider:

• Gathering a focused history of potential exposure to neglect, emotional, physical and sexual abuse
• The potential risk factor of childhood abuse/neglect for later behavioral emotional/behavioral/mental health concerns