Adversity

We've all heard the term 'adverse childhood experiences', but what does it really mean? It's when a child or young person experiences a traumatic event which has a damaging impact on their physical and/or mental health and wellbeing. The traumatic experiences are so significant that the individual can't just 'bounce back' from it — which can often lead to long-term health and social problems in adulthood.

The more adverse experiences a child or young person has, the greater chance it will affect their ability to develop positive friendship bonds and secure healthy relationships.

It's possible that your child has had an adverse experience without you recognising it for what it is. A traumatic event doesn't necessarily mean neglect, abuse, bullying or growing up in a violent community such as a war zone. This is a big misconception — an adverse experience may have occurred due to the death of a parent or sibling, the physical or mental illness of a close family member, growing up in poverty, or when their parents' relationship ends resulting in a family separation.

Ideally, prevention of a potential risk would be the best outcome for everyone, but this isn't always possible. In circumstances when a traumatic event has happened, appropriate early intervention can help ease long-term effects.

As a caring adult, building trust and showing sensitivity to the child or young person's needs is crucial — in addition to consistency, kindness, and empathy.

Helping to build resilience will provide protection against any future adverse events and reduce negative behaviours in later life, preserving health and wellbeing, which is key to their future success.

A parent can help a child or young person build resilience by encouraging them to talk about their feelings. Emotions influence the body in so many ways. Through education, parents and children can learn how emotions affect them physically and mentally — they can learn how to respond to the messages their body is communicating efficiently and effectively.

Understanding emotions will not only help build resilience, it will lead to better emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing and promote positive school experiences and performance, together with the ability to build healthy and happy friendships.