Tagged With "neglected children"
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ACEs in Wales: Children who suffer abuse more likely to be involved in violence & misuse drugs & alcohol as adults
Adults in Wales who were physically or sexually abused as children or brought up in households where there was domestic violence, alcohol or drug abuse are more likely to adopt health-harming and anti-social behaviours in adult life... http://www.aces.me.uk/in-wales/ http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/888/news/40000
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All pupils will be taught about mental and physical wellbeing (gov.uk)
It's a start. Clearly many children do not grow up in households where this information is known and understood and healthy patterns hold. I believe we still have a way to go including ACEs and that emotional health is key. All children in England will be taught how to look after their mental wellbeing and recognise when classmates may be struggling, as the Government unveils new guidance for the introduction of compulsory health education. Bold new plans set out today (Monday 25 February)...
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An examination of class-based visibility bias in national child maltreatment reporting.
An examination of class-based visibility bias in national child maltreatment reporting. Authors: Hyunil Kim, Brett Drake and Melissa Jonson-Reid Format: Article Summary: Examines the relationship between poverty and children's exposure to professional reporters to see if increasing poverty leads to higher level of reports, sometimes known as Class-Based Visibility Bias (CBVB). Findings show that contrary to expectations, increasing poverty was not associated with increases in the proportion...
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Associations of Adverse Childhood Experiences with Educational Attainment and Adolescent Health and the Role of Family Socioeconomic Factors: A Prospective Cohort Study in the UK [journals.plos.org]
By Lotte C. Houtepen, Jon Heron, Matthew J. Suderman, et al., PLOS Medicine, March 2, 2020 Background Experiencing multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is a risk factor for many adverse outcomes. We explore associations of ACEs with educational attainment and adolescent health and the role of family and socioeconomic factors in these associations. Methods and findings Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a prospective cohort of children born...
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Bringing the global to the local: Review of global trends in the prevalence and services for child maltreatment in order to inform research, policy and practice in England
Research shows that child maltreatment is prevalent and impacts on the health and well-being of children in every society. This report presents for the first time international trend and prevalence data according to the NSPCC indicators utilised in the “How safe are our children” annual reports in order to compare England against other countries.
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Bruising in Children: Exploring the Attitudes, Knowledge and Training of Child Protection Social Workers and the Interface with Paediatricians regarding Childhood Bruising
Abstract While child protection social workers (CPSWs) make decisions about which children with an injury need a medical examination, we do not know how they make these decisions. We aimed to ascertain the knowledge, attitudes and training of CPSWs in regards to assessing childhood bruising. Paediatricians' views on the bruising knowledge and training of CPSWs were also explored, as well as the relationship and communication between the two professions. Semi‐structured, face‐to‐face...
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Call to protect Scottish youngsters from parents' drinking habits [heraldscotland.com]
CHARITIES have issued a call to “halt the cycle of childhood trauma” by providing increased support for parents dealing with harmful drinking habits. An estimated 30,000-51,000 Scottish children are being raised by problem drinkers, according to a recent report, with many youngsters at risk of imitating the same deleterious behaviour. Experts in harm-reduction and welfare organisations are warning that urgent support is needed to ensure fewer adults are faced with entrenched alcohol problems...
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Child poverty and education
Child poverty and education The National Education Union (NEU) has published a report looking at the extent to which poverty is damaging the educational opportunities for children from poor families. Findings from a snapshot survey of 908 NEU members including heads, teachers and school support staff working in England, Wales and Northern Ireland finds that: 87% of respondents said that poverty is having a significant impact on the learning of their pupils and students; and 60% believe that...
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Children 'failed in first 1,000 days', says MPs [BBC News]
The Health and Social Care Committee said the first 1,000 days were critical, but not enough was done. It warned cuts to children's centres, health visiting and services to support parents had left families vulnerable. Nearly a third of children are not "school ready" by the time they reach five, because they have not developed the necessary skills and behaviours. The cross-party group wants the government to pay for extra contact with health visitors beyond the age of two-and-a-half. The...
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Children living in households with complex needs
Children living in households with complex needs The Children’s Commissioner for England has published a report analysing the voices of children living in households with domestic abuse, parental substance misuse and parental mental health problems. The report presents findings from interviews with 15 children and young people aged 6 to 19 who were supported in three projects in London, Doncaster and Herefordshire. The interviews explored: how experiences at home affected their emotional...
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Children's services cuts 'a false economy', Ofsted warns
Cuts to children's services budgets for family support and youth work represent a "false economy", simply leading to greater pressure on safeguarding provision, Ofsted has warned. The inspectorate's annual report noted that while the overall effectiveness of children's services provision is continuing to improve, the impact of ongoing financial restrictions risks jeopardising progress. Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman said that local authority social care budgets have experienced the...
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Children who are bullied frequently are four times more likely to suffer, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS)
The ONS ‘Children’s Well-being 2015’ report reveals a number of findings that provide insight into mental health problems in children. A new measure of children’s mental ill-health is included in response to feedback from stakeholders who identified mental health as missing from the initial set of measures for children. It uses the total difficulties score from the child self-completion aspect of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) from the UK Household Longitudinal Survey...
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Children with special educational needs and disability
Children with special educational needs and disability The BBC reports that Judge Rowley has ruled in the Upper Tribunal that the exclusion from school of a 13-year-old boy due to behaviour linked to his autism was unlawful. The judge ruled that "aggressive behaviour is not a choice for children with autism” and that their behaviour in school "is a manifestation of the very condition which calls for special educational provision to be made for them". Source: BBC Date: 14 August 2018 Further...
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Thousands of police trained to spot childhood trauma (bbc.co.uk)
How do you tackle the problem of young people falling into a life of crime? One of the approaches being adopted across the UK has been more awareness of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). In Wales, more than 5,000 front-line officers and police staff have been trained in responding to crimes involving children to enable them to recognise whether they may be experiencing ACEs. The programme, which has been backed by more than £6.5m of Home Office funding, is being used as a pilot which...
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U.K. Appoints Minister for Suicide Prevention [NYTimes.com]
Months after appointing its first minister for loneliness, Britain named a minister for suicide prevention as part of a new push to tackle mental health issues. Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday announced the appointment of the health minister Jackie Doyle-Price to the new role. She will lead government efforts to cut the number of suicides and overcome the stigma that prevents people with mental health problems from seeking help. While suicide rates have dropped in recent years, about...
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Unaccompanied asylum seeking children
Unaccompanied asylum seeking children The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has published a report looking at the Home Office’s handling of unaccompanied asylum seeking children and how it ensured the best interest of the child were considered throughout the asylum process. The report covers the reception and intake of unaccompanied asylum seeking children; age dispute and age assessment; the National Transfer Scheme, and decision making. The report is published in...
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Virtual Screening of Broken Places on March 21st & Registration for ACEs Connection Members!
Please join us on Thursday, March 21st for a special virtual screening of Broken Places , the latest U.S. documentary on early childhood trauma and resilience. The film will be offered via a private Vimeo link with passcode to all registered members of ACEs Connection, for free, accessible in the United States and internationally. REGISTER TODAY: To register, please visit : https://goo.gl/forms/apdoINwgtQmydEXK2 The viewing portal for the film will open on Vimeo at 6am EST and close at 11pm...
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Whole People Series & Study Guide (www.pbs.org)
There's a fantastic five-part series, Whole People , done by PBS, " spotlighting the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) through personal and community stories. It explores the long-term costs to personal well-being and our society. While much work needs to be done, there are many innovative developments to prevent and treat ACES. We all play a role in becoming a whole people." It's amazing. The five topics covered are as follows: Childhood Trauma Healing Communities A New...
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Comparison of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt and suicide in children and young people in care and non-care populations: Systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence
Abstract Suicide in children and young people is a major public health concern. However, it is unknown whether individuals who have been in the care of the child welfare system are at an elevated risk. Care is presently defined as statutory provision of in-home care (e.g. child living with birth family but in receipt of legal order involving supervision by social workers) or out-of-home care (e.g. foster care , residential care and kinship care). This paper presents a systematic review and...
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Comparison of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt and suicide in children and young people in care and non-care populations: Systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence☆
Highlights •Global problem of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt and suicide among young people •Unknown if young people in care are at an elevated risk. •Systematic review comparing prevalence between care and non-care populations •Suicide attempt is more than three times as likely among those in care. •Further comparative studies are required. Abstract Suicide in children and young people is a major public health concern. However, it is unknown whether individuals who have been in the care...
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Cut off from Justice: The impact of excluding separated and migrant children from legal aid
All children and young people in the UK should be kept safe and have equal access to justice, regardless of where they were born. However, sweeping changes made to legal aid provision for immigration cases have put some of the most vulnerable children in this country at serious risk and unable to get the help they need. This report, written in partnership with Dr Helen Connolly, University of Bedfordshire, highlights the needs of unaccompanied and separated children in a system that often...
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Domestic and sexual violence and abuse action plan – Northern Ireland
Domestic and sexual violence and abuse action plan – Northern Ireland The Department of Health and Department of Justice in Northern Ireland have published their 2018/2019 action plan under the Stopping domestic and sexual violence and abuse strategy. This third action plan identifies new initiatives including: considering how relationships and sexuality education resources can support teachers in addressing domestic and sexual violence and abuse; and linking with the work of the...
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Employers need to do more to support adult survivors of childhood trauma
We now need the right climate in the workplace for survivors to talk openly and with full confidence so that their employer can provide appropriate support.
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England’s children commissioner calls for volunteer social workers (The Guardian)
By Sally Weale, March 31, 2020, The Guardian Anne Longfield plans to recruit retired staff to help vulnerable children amid coronavirus crisis The children’s commissioner for England has called for an army of volunteers to help support children’s social care during the coronavirus crisis in an effort to stop the most vulnerable falling through the gaps and disappearing from view. Just as doctors and nurses who left the NHS have responded to calls to return to work to help save lives, Anne...
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First 1000 days of life - policy and practice examined
The Health and Social Care Committee hears from senior officials in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland about how policy and practice in other parts of the UK can help inform England's approach to the first 1000 days. The Committee will also hear from Public Health England about their role in giving children the best start in life. https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/health-and-social-care-committee/news/first-1000-days-evidence-17-191/
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Four-year-old referred to specialist unit after killing pair of kittens
https://www.scotsman.com/news/four-year-old-referred-to-specialist-unit-after-killing-pair-of-kittens-1-4794346 A four-year-old child has been referred to the newly-launched Scottish Animal Guardians programme after killing two kittens, it has emerged. Details of cruelty by youngsters were revealed at Scotland’s first human-animal interaction conference by the Scottish SPCA and the University of Edinburgh. A total of 25 children from the Edinburgh City Council area have been referred to the...
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From across the water, the Irish Sea
Thank you for adding me. I'm looking forward to your exchanges, especially as Ireland is a lonely place when it comes to ACEs and all-things Children. I will endeavour to not lower the tone too much with never-ending news and stories from my side. Suffice to say that a momentous report was released only a week ago, and for the first time it seems, the tone of the Rapporteur is 'angry' and speaks about a < societal change is required > and not just at the level of the groups and...
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"Give me some space": exploring youth to parent aggression and violence.
"Give me some space": exploring youth to parent aggression and violence. Authors: Lynne Gabriel, Zahra Tizro, Hazel James, Jane Cronin-Davis, Tanya Beetham, Alice Corbally, Emily Lopez-Moreno and Sarah Hill Format: Article Summary: Research project undertaken by Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS) looking at youth aggression and violence against parents. Data was generated through conversations with young people, semi structured interviews with mothers, interviews and a focus group...
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Good intentions but the right approach? The case of ACEs
There are of course lots of examples of fine work going on around ACEs, but there are also aspects of the ACE movement that make me feel a little uncomfortable. I worry that what is clearly a well-intentioned desire to just do something might not do good and could cause harm. My concerns are absolutely not meant as a criticism of the motivation and altruism underlying the ACEs movement, but as a cautionary nudge to make sure that, in our enthusiasm to do good, we don’t run before we can walk.
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Greater Manchester plan to give thousands of children and young people the best start in life
A new plan was launched at the Greater Manchester Health and Care Board which will help hundreds of thousands of children and young people in Greater Manchester to get better health and care to improve their development and fulfil their potential. The four-year plan maps out how agencies in the region will work closer together to make sure local services offered from before birth through to adulthood, will give every child across Greater Manchester the best possible start in life. The...
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Health inequalities for people with learning disabilities, including children and young people
The Institute of Health Equity at University College London has summarised research into the health inequalities for people with learning disabilities, including children and young people . Findings include: compared with the general population, children with learning disabilities are more likely to be bullied; children and young people with learning disabilities are more likely to live in poverty, have worse mental health and display more risky health behaviours; girls with learning...
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Hidden Sentence Training by POPS (Manchester UK)
The imprisonment of a family member can have significant and long-lasting emotional and practical consequences for those who remain on the outside. Stigma and isolation often ensures these families remain hidden from statutory services, and withdrawn from community support, increasing their vulnerability. Increasing awareness is vital to ensuring these families receive the support they need to overcome the potential impact on their mental health, financial stability and social wellbeing.
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Highland Council first in UK to adopt ‘ACE’ principles [pressandjournal.co.uk]
Highland councillors yesterday committed to following the principles laid out in a new report on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) by NHS Highland. The council is the first local authority in the UK to commit to becoming ‘ACE Aware’, and working with NHS and third sector to embed the principles into frontline children’s services. The report sets out to change traditional ways of thinking about children and adults who have had a poor start in life due to ‘toxic stress’ in their surroundings...
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How Adverse Childhood Experiences Cost $1.33 Trillion a Year (psychologytoday.com)
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/experimentations/201909/how-adverse-childhood-experiences-cost-133-trillion-year
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How many children experience the death of their mother UK 🇬🇧
Finally it seems we are starting to map key events in lives experiences. The death of a parent can have a profound impact on children which may be felt throughout their life. However, there are currently no official estimates of the number of children who are affected by bereavement. Nick Stripe explains how ONS is starting to fill the evidence gap. In new statistics published today we have estimated the proportion of children born between the years 1971-2000 who experienced the death of...
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How many children experience trauma and PTSD UK 🇬🇧
This article intrigued me, is this purely PTSD or did it included identifying CPTSD or developmental trauma?... MRC-funded research from King’s College London suggests one in 13 young people in the UK have had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) before reaching age 18. The first UK-based study of its kind, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, found 31% of young people had a traumatic experience during childhood, and those who were exposed to trauma were twice as likely as their peers to...
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International Congress in Paris: The Transition to School
For many children, the transition to a traditional elementary school setting, whether it be from home or a pre-school environment, represents a radical discontinuity - not just in terms of their physical environment, but on multiple levels, including values, behavioral and learning expectations, teacher attitudes, emotional support, etc. What if, in line with the latest neuroscientific discoveries about brain maturation, we were to re-envision early childhood education as commencing at birth...
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Introduce mental health checks for new mothers, ministers told Six-week checkup would help the 50% of UK mothers with mental health problems
New mothers should receive a mental health checkup six weeks after giving birth to help tackle possible postnatal depression and other problems related to having a baby, ministers have been told. A cross-party group of 60 MPs and peers have written to Steve Brine, the minister for public health and primary care, demanding that all mothers in England have an assessment of their emotional and mental health carried out by a GP, practice nurse or health visitor. They say that making such...
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Leader of the Commons to Chair Ministerial Group on Family Support from Conception to Age 2
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/leader-of-the-commons-to-chair-ministerial-group-on-family-support-from-conception-to-the-age-of-two This includes: record investment in early years education and childcare support of around £6 billion by 2020 £365 million investment to enable 30,000 more women to access appropriate, high-quality specialist perinatal mental health care by 2020/21 15 hours per week of free early education for disadvantaged two-year-olds – nearly 750,000 children have...
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Making Connections Understanding how local agencies can better keep missing children safe
The Childrens Society Report attached...
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Mental Health, Social Adversity, and Health-Related Outcomes in Sexual Minority Adolescents: A Contemporary National Cohort Study [thelancet.com]
By Background Sexual minority adolescents are more likely to have mental health problems, adverse social environments, and negative health outcomes compared with their heterosexual counterparts. There is a paucity of up-to-date population-level estimates of the extent of risk across these domains in the UK. We analysed outcomes across mental health, social environment, and health-related domains in sexual minority adolescents compared with their heterosexual counterparts in a large,...
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Mindfulness and Meditation to Become Part of the Curriculum in 370 Schools in England (brightvibes.com)
In 370 schools across England, children will be taught how to meditate, techniques for muscle relaxation, and breathing exercises for mindfulness. The program is being conducted under a mental health study that the British government is running up until 2021. Aside from the increasing number of young children that are showing signs of early onset depression and anxiety , National Health Service (NHS) reports have also indicated that 1-in-8 British children have mental disorders. Despite...
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MindUP UK [4 min]
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More Evidence that Green Space Helps Develop Young Brains (psmag.com)
Several recent studies have found children tend to fare better academically if they have ample access to the natural world. But the reasons for this remains hazy. Do they get more exercise? Breathe cleaner air? New British research reveals one likely advantage such kids enjoy. It finds they score higher on a standard test of Spatial Working Memory —the ability to retain visual information long enough to process it and make use of it to solve problems. For a child, this may mean developing an...
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MRC-funded research reveals extent of trauma and PTSD in young people [cambridgenetwork.co.uk]
The first UK-based study of its kind, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, found 31% of young people had a traumatic experience during childhood, and those who were exposed to trauma were twice as likely as their peers to have a range of mental health disorders. Relatively little is known about the extent of trauma and its effects on mental health in young people. The researchers looked at participants in the E-Risk Study , funded by the MRC, which includes 2,232 children born in England and...
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National Statistics HBAI, 1994/95 to 2016/17: children data tables Children income data tables produced as part of the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) report: 1994/95 to 2016/17 (Gov.uk)
Details The HBAI report presents information on living standards in the United Kingdom year-on-year from 1994/1995 to 2016/2017. These data tables provide greater detail about the income of children, especially those in families with low income. They include the following information. Overall trends How many and what percentage of children are in low income households, and is this proportion rising or falling over time? Detailed breakdowns What percentages of children in low income live in...
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Nauru refugees: The island where children have given up on life
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-45327058 Suicide attempts and horrifying acts of self-harm are drawing fresh attention to the suffering of refugee children on Nauru, in what is being described as a "mental health crisis". The tiny island nation, site of Australia's controversial offshore processing centre, has long been plagued with allegations of human rights abuses. But a series of damning media reports recently has also highlighted a rapidly deteriorating situation for young people.
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Neglected Children End Up With 'Smaller Brains' [bbc.com]
By James Gallagher, British Broadcasting Corporation, January 7, 2020 An early life full of neglect, deprivation and adversity leads to people growing up with smaller brains, a study suggests. The researchers at King's College London were following adopted children who spent time in "hellhole" Romanian orphanages. They grew up with brains 8.6% smaller than other adoptees. [ Please click here to read more .]
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NHS Highland (Scotland) report on ACEs science (including resilience) and practice
In the new report, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience, and Trauma-Informed Care: A Public Health Approach to Understanding and Responding to Adversity , Professor Hugo van Warden, t he director of public health for NHS Highland (Scotland), writes: "This report deals with ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’ and chronic exposure to ‘toxic stress’. A key message in this report is that such experiences increase the risk of later development of poor mental health, adverse behavioural...