Adverse childhood experiences are negative events that can have permanent effects on children. Unfortunately, more than 50% of children in the US have been exposed to one or more adverse experiences leading to issues with health and wellbeing.
Though there are ways to prevent and combat the effects of childhood experiences, having a better understanding of what they are is the first step to prevention.
If you want to learn the top 4 examples of adverse childhood experiences, keep reading to find out more.
1. Economic Hardship
Starting with the most common example, the majority of children in families that are unable to afford food or appropriate housing are affected by adverse experiences.
Lower-income families can have a long-lasting effect on the mental and physical health of a child. If unable to get financial help, this can lead to malnourishment and tension between parents and caregivers.
Since the beginning of the global pandemic, many businesses have had to close or lower their staff numbers. This blog goes into more detail on the pandemic effects on children at home.
2. Verbal Abuse
Children exposed to verbal abuse live in a constant state of fear and hyper-awareness. Examples of adverse childhood experiences with verbal abuse are making a child not feel good enough, constantly insecure about what they do, feel, and say.
As verbal abuse cannot be seen physically, this also leads to a child developing low self-esteem, feeling misunderstood, and later in life as an adult, it can result in substance and alcohol abuse as a coping mechanism.
3. Physical Abuse
When a parent lashes out in anger, this can result in physical abuse. More commonly, this is a result of alcohol abuse in adults.
Usually, if it’s not visibly obvious that a child is being physically abused, they can disguise bruises or scars by wearing long-sleeved clothing on warmer days. Behaviourally, it’s common for children to develop eating disorders and an inability to concentrate.
4. Divorce and Separation
In the US, roughly one in two children will experience parental separation or divorce. Examples of adverse childhood experiences in regards to divorce include anger problems, impulsive behavior, and conflict with peers. This further increases if the parents remarry.
Though some behavioral issues can be temporary. If a child is exposed to parental conflict at a young age, it can cause them to become demanding and non-compliant for longer periods of time.
Do Any of These Examples of Adverse Childhood Experiences Sound Familiar?
Any type of adverse childhood experience has a negative effect on a child, but there are ways to help lessen the consequences and effectively change this. Introducing positive parenting skills and offering community support are a few ways that will benefit children who have been exposed to any of these examples of adverse childhood experiences.
If you have any concerns that a child might be being abused, reach out to abuse helplines with any information you have. For more related articles, check out our other blog posts.
