When someone acts out or becomes violent, the first question often asked by parents, teachers, friends, family and others is: “Why did you do this?”
Winona State University social work professor Ruth Charles and several other community leaders are working to change the framing of the question, asking instead: “What happened to you that would make you behave this way?”
First defined in a study that began in 1995, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), established a link between childhood trauma and an increased risk in a variety of illnesses and struggles as an adult. Those include mental illness, a tendency for violence, financial issues, adult-onset chronic disease and a number of other family and household related problems.
A national ACEs initiative group came to fruition after publication of the study’s results, and several community leaders in Winona recently joined the initiative, forming a group of local stakeholders “committed to bringing awareness about the impact on the lives of children and the adults they become.”
The Winona group is working to create a network of speakers, trainers and coaches to address difficult social and health issues in the community. Last summer, with the help of a grant, 30 community leaders were trained to present information on ACEs.
To continue reading this article by Ben Strand, go to: http://www.winonadailynews.com...48-329c1a83cd39.html
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