Breaking the Cycle: How Schools Can Mitigate the Impact of ACEs
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that can happen during childhood, such as violence, abuse, neglect, or living with substance abuse or mental health issues in the family. Unfortunately, ACEs are common. Studies from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that approximately two-thirds of Americans have experienced at least one ACE, and one in six people have encountered four or more ACEs.
These challenges can significantly impact a child's development, both mentally and physically. According to Kaiser Permanente, the toxic stress caused by these experiences can interfere with their growth and increase the risk of health problems later in life, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. The stress can also affect a child’s ability to form stable relationships, maintain steady employment, or manage finances as an adult. Therefore, it is crucial to identify and address these issues early to reduce their long-term effects.
Since children spend a significant amount of time in school, teachers and school staff play a key role in helping students facing toxic stress. Schools are ideal environments to focus on preventing and managing health issues related to ACEs. Toxic stress can manifest in the classroom through behaviors such as difficulty concentrating, disengagement, and disruptions, which can ultimately affect academic performance. As the number of ACEs a child experiences increases, their academic struggles are more likely. It is essential for school staff to recognize when students need additional support.
Kaiser Permanente suggests creating a trauma-informed school environment is crucial for helping students deal with toxic stress. Teachers can be trained to understand that behaviors often labeled as "disruptive" may be signs of stress, enabling them to respond in a caring and supportive manner that helps students feel safe. While ACE scores can assist healthcare providers and caretakers in assessing the risk of toxic stress, Compton et al. suggest that focusing solely on students with high ACE scores is insufficient. Instead, schools should implement policies that support all students, creating a positive and inclusive environment.
It is vital for teachers to ensure that every student feels safe and protected in their classroom. Schools can integrate social-emotional learning into their curricula to help students build resilience and stress management skills. Additionally, schools can collaborate with pediatricians to implement strategies that manage toxic stress both at home and in school. These strategies may include promoting healthy eating, mindfulness, outdoor activities, physical exercise, and adequate sleep to help students maintain good health and succeed academically.
Addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) is crucial for helping children overcome challenges that can affect their health and success in life. Schools are in a unique position to support students dealing with toxic stress by creating a safe, supportive environment and using social-emotional learning to help them build resilience. By recognizing the signs of ACEs and offering proper support, schools can make a lasting difference in students' lives. It’s important that we take action early, so every student has the chance to succeed, both in school and in life. Schools can help break the cycle of adversity and set all students up for a healthier, more successful future.
REFLECTING ON THE FUTURE: How can we, as a community, create environments where children affected by adversity feel safe, supported, and capable of reaching their full potential?
