scholarly journals Building Resilience Through Sport in Young People With Adverse Childhood Experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth Norris ◽  
Heather Norris

Interventions focused on young people at risk of anti-social and criminal behaviour frequently involve physical exercise and/or participation in sporting activities as a primary vehicle to bring about behavioural change in both the short to medium term. Anecdotal evidence suggests that sporting activities positively influence individual well-being alongside a sense of purpose and belonging centred around sporting clubs and activities. Empirically, participation in sport has been identified as a key resilience factor for young people with numerous Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and investment and policy initiatives target investment in these opportunities. However, the psychological mechanisms which underpin these improvements in well-being and building of resilience are less clearly articulated. This article will review current and developing research in this field to synthesise future applications of sport-related interventions with young people, with a particular emphasis on furthering understanding of the pathways to capacity building at individual and community level which sport and exercise can generate.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S235-S235
Author(s):  
Jooyoung Kong ◽  
Yin Liu ◽  
David Almeida

Abstract Extensive evidence suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can lead to negative health effects across a lifetime. This study examines the impact of ACEs on the frequency of providing daily support (i.e., unpaid assistance, emotional support, and disability-related assistance) to family members and the moderating effects of ACEs in the association between providing daily support to family and daily negative affect. Using the National Study of Daily Experiences II, we analyzed a total of 14,912 daily interviews from 2,022 respondents aged 56 on average. Key results showed that a greater number of ACEs were associated with providing more frequent emotional support to family. We also found the significant interaction effect that adults with more ACEs showed greater negative affect on the days when they provided assistance to family members with disabilities. The findings underscore the long-term negative impact of ACEs on daily well-being in the context of family relationships.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 582-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paraniala Silas C. Lui ◽  
Michael P. Dunne ◽  
Philip Baker ◽  
Verzilyn Isom

Compared with many parts of the world, there has been little research in Pacific Island nations into the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on adult health. This is a significant gap for local evidence-based child protection. We describe findings from a survey of 400 men aged 18 to 70 years recruited from randomly sampled households in Honiara city, Solomon Islands. Most men reported multiple adversities during childhood (80.7% 3 or more; 46% 5 or more), such as exposure to community and domestic violence, bullying, physical maltreatment, and sexual abuse. Men with multiple ACEs had significantly lower well-being and more psychological distress, recent stressful life events, and health risk behaviors. This study reports the first observation that betel quid chewing increased as a function of multiple ACEs. In comparison with recent East Asian studies, the Solomon Islands data suggest that the collective geographic category of “Asia-Pacific” masks significant intraregional differences in childhood adversities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S283-S283
Author(s):  
Gregory C Smith ◽  
Frank J Infurna ◽  
Britney A Webster ◽  
Megan L Dolbin-MacNab ◽  
Max Crowley ◽  
...  

Abstract The Risky Family Model postulates that adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are likely to be encountered across generations within custodial grandfamilies which, in turn, may adversely impact their overall well-being. The present study is a pioneering attempt to examine the patterns of ACEs self-reported by custodial grandmothers (CGM) and adolescent grandchildren (AGC) from the same families, and how their total ACE scores correlate with key physical and mental health outcomes. A total of 129 CGM-ACG dyads recruited for a nationwide RCT study completed separately at baseline the 10-item ACE-CDC and 4 items from the ACE-IQ, as well as various standardized measures of physical and emotional well-being. The most frequent ACEs reported by AGC were loss of a parent (60.5%), verbal abuse (58.1%), bullying by peers (46.5%), and living with someone jailed (45.0%). The predominant ACEs for CGM were bullying by peers (48.8%), verbal abuse (48.1%), living with a mentally ill person (34.1%), being touched sexually (29.5%), and loss of parent (29.5%). Only 10.1% of ACG and 15.5% of CGM reported 0 ACEs, whereas 65.1 % of ACG and 59% of CGM reported > 3 ACEs. For ACG, total ACE scores correlated significantly with externalizing (r=.32) and internalizing (r=.30) difficulties, self-esteem (r= -.28), loneliness (r=.27), school problems (r=.24), and physical health (r= -.26). For CGMs, anxiety (r=.23) and depression (r=.19) only were correlated significantly with total ACEs. We conclude that although both CGM and ACG reported alarmingly high levels of ACEs, different patterns and correlates exist between the generations. [Funded by R01AG054571]


Author(s):  
E. Hitchcock Scott ◽  
George E. Muñoz

Emotional balance and stability are important aspects of long-term abstinence from non-prescribed mood altering chemicals. Labiality (extreme mood swings) can contribute to relapse. This chapter challenges the traditional concept of healing, defined as a return to prior levels of functioning. Adverse childhood experiences, with their long-term contribution to adolescent and adult mood problems are noted. Interventions for adverse childhood experiences are recommended as part of the healing journey for emotional wellness. The limitations of traditional addiction treatment are discussed, as well as various possible detractors to good emotional health and sobriety. Interventions, processes, and various counseling theoretical practices are suggested for improving mood, emotional well-being, and sobriety. Ongoing assessment and monitoring of emotional well-being and relapse risk are critical. The quality of the relationship between the practitioner and patient is crucial in order to co-create a viable, individualized, holistic treatment plan.


Author(s):  
Rebecca Harris ◽  
Daniel R. Stubbings ◽  
Karen De Claire

AbstractThe aim of the present study was to investigate what factors are predictive of behavioural and emotional dysfunction in adolescence. A sample of 60 young people accommodated under a welfare or youth custody service order in a UK secure children’s home between 2016 and 2018 was used. Data regarding young people’s Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) history, scores on standard assessments and factors thought to indicate behavioural and emotional dysfunction were collected from file information. Correlations and regression models were used to analyse the data. Analyses found that young people in this setting had been exposed to more ACEs than the general population. Furthermore, signs of behavioural and emotional dysfunction as a result of exposure to ACE’s appeared to be present from early adolescence. It was found that exposure to verbal and sexual abuse were the greatest predictors of involvement in risk incidents. The young person’s substance misuse habits were the best predictor of the length of stay in the secure children’s home. These findings may have policy implications and highlight the need for early interventions with young people exposed to ACE’s.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Keesler

Abstract Direct support professionals (DSPs) provide integral support to many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Yet, individuals' access to qualified DSPs is often compromised as organizations struggle to hire and retain DSPs. Despite a vast body of research exploring factors associated with turnover, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among DSPs remain absent from the literature. ACEs encompass abuse and familial dysfunction prior to the age of 18 and, in the general population, have been linked to compromised well-being and work-related challenges in adult life. An online survey was conducted to explore the prevalence of ACE categories and ACE scores (i.e., the sum of each ACE category experienced by a person) among DSPs (n = 386) working in licensed settings. Seventy-five percent of DSPs experienced at least one ACE and 30% had an ACE score of four or more. DSPs who identified as female and those who had been in their position less than one year had significantly higher ACE scores than males and others who had been in their position longer, respectively. In comparison with other studies, the four most common ACE categories among DSPs (i.e., divorce, emotional abuse, mental illness, and substance abuse) were the same, however, DSPs in the present study had a higher average ACE score and nearly twice the percentage of persons having an ACE score of four or more. The potential implications of ACEs among DSPs, at the intersection of their work with individuals with IDD, are discussed.


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