Adverse Childhood Events and Impacts on Development

[MO-Survivor]

Yet another article (Wall Street Journal) discussing the negative effects of Adverse Childhood Events (ACE’s) on development. Specifically, more rapid growth and maturity for those with ACE’s which results in less time for brain growth and development in childhood. A few things I noted:

• CSA is not listed in the article as an ACE. Most studies I have seen include CSA prominently, so I am assuming the author left it out for some other reason? Like the usual “we-don’t-want-to-talk-about-that” reason?

“In 1998 a landmark series of studies at the Kaiser Permanente Medical group looked at the long-term effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, on children growing up in California. ACEs include physical or emotional neglect or abuse; poverty; divorce; and violence, addiction or mental illness in the home.”​

• Accelerated puberty is a result of ACE’s. This makes sense. I’ve seen a lot of guys say when puberty started, and it was typically 11 or so - which was young in the 1970’s and earlier

“Surprisingly, ACEs seem to actually accelerate the pace of physical development. A number of studies suggest that children with stressful lives reach puberty earlier.”​

The WSJ is a subscription based paper, but I was able to read the article without subscription via Facebook. So I’m posting in-line her both the link I via FB and the direct link.

 

[Wharf_Rat]

I find it curious that they don't list CSA as an ACE, too. I'd like to know why.

 

[Hiding from Myself]

Take The ACES Quiz - American SPCC

americanspcc.org

The one I took (above) includes a question about sexual abuse.

 

[George]

The one I took (above) includes a question about sexual abuse.

I just took this one too, their threshold for the age of the abuser was "five years or older", as if 2,3 or even 4 years isn't any kind of life altering issue. Makes me wonder what they are implying by this.... Another question was about violence in the home, I wonder why they used "often", what qualifies as "often"? I remember cops coming to our house a couple of times when my father & step mom #2 physically fought, I was exposed to a lot more domestic violence in relatives homes than at mine. I said "no" but in reality any child witnessed domestic violence is certainly a bad thing.

 

[George]

CSA is not listed in the article as an ACE. Most studies I have seen include CSA prominently, so I am assuming the author left it out for some other reason? Like the usual “we-don’t-want-to-talk-about-that” reason?

I can't imagine any logical reason to not include csa, my mind always goes to what are they hiding or implying with their obvious silence about it.

 

[TJ jeff]

Accelerated puberty is a result of ACE’s

I've had people over the years tell me that it is impossible that was fully sexually "functional" at the age of 8 - guess the Kaiser Permanente Medical group proves it's not so impossible

Got to wonder though why the group left the sexual abuse quistion out of the study?