Adverse and Protective Childhood Experiences: A Developmental Perspective

by Jennifer Hays-Grudo, Amanda Sheffield Morris

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can negatively influence development. However, the lifelong effects of positive childhood experiences (PACEs) can mitigate the detrimental effects of  adverse ones. By integrating existing knowledge about (ACEs) with developmental research on preventing, buffering, and treating the effects of adversity, stress, and trauma on child development and subsequent health and functioning, this book identifies the most important of these (PACEs). It provides an interdisciplinary lens from which to view the multiple types of effects of enduring childhood experiences, and recommends evidence-based approaches for protecting children and repairing the enduring negative consequences of (ACEs) they face as adults. Students, researchers, clinicians, and health-care providers can use this research to understand the science of early life adversity, lifelong resilience, and related intervention and prevention programming to help those suffering from the lifelong effects of (ACEs). Chapters include many figures, graphs, diagrams, stories, and activities that aim to help readers apply the science to everyday life. 

Genres: Psychology

236 pages, Paperback

Published March 24, 2020

Reviews

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the ideas central to Adverse and Protective Childhood Experiences: that adverse childhood experiences (e.g., neglect, abuse, and being raised in a home with domestic violence or a mentally ill or substance abusing parent) puts a child at risk of poor behavioral and physical health outcomes. Conversely, that a series of protective childhood experiences (e.g., experiencing unconditional love, having a best friend, volunteering in the community, and being part of an organized group) can buffer a child against these negative outcomes. Jennifer Hays-Grudo and Amanda Sheffield Morris clearly summarize the research on these issues, as well as the community and family interventions that can buffer children and help them become resilient.

Despite this, I was often frustrated by Adverse and Protective Childhood Experiences. Clearly, Hays-Grudo and Sheffield Morris want their book to be readable and accessible to a larger audience: they want it to be both wonky and practical. They share Robert Anda's conviction "that communities can become 'self-healing' if those of us who study adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and those of us who have experienced ACEs talk with and listen to each other" (p. 163). They use examples and share a series of Anda's reflection questions to move the narrative in a more accessible direction.

Ultimately, though, I wonder whether they miss the mark in their storytelling. It seems to me that this reframing of children's "misbehavior" and poor health is so radical from the usual story told that one cannot be too speedy in laying out this new argument, as they were here.

At least, that's what I've been thinking, while preparing to teach a course on childhood trauma.

[Ricardo Pocurull · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good review but “woke” alert in the latter chapters.

For the most part, the book was factual and focusing on the research and theories of psycho-social development as well as some attention to the neuroscience. It is well referenced. However, when I reached the latter chapters, there was a discussion on trans generational trauma. Then some woke-ism language emerged including trauma related to discrimination. No problem there. However, when the authors left out survivors of communism and tyranny yet included terms like gender discrimination (as opposed to the correct biological term sexual discrimination) and colonialism, then the bias became suspect. 100 million victims of communism and colonialism is what is mentioned. I’m part meso-American and family destroyed by communism. The atrocities committed by the Aztecs and Mayans on the other tribes was quite significant and often ignored including, ironically, child sacrifice. No mention of the worldwide genital mutilation of children either. But colonialism, takes center stage. Sorry but the politics need to be left out of science and medicine.