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Bloomfi eld Hills | 248.646.8000 www.michigan-divorce-mediation.com 2043970 36 May 26 • 2016 he definition of child abuse, as least one adverse childhood experience defined by the U.S. Department and, of those, 87 percent reported two of Health and Human Services or more. is: any act or failure to act on the part The number of ACEs showed a of a parent or caretaker that results in direct correlation to poor physical and death, serious physical or emotional mental health outcomes in adulthood. harm, sexual abuse or exploitation of As the number of ACEs increase, so a child. do the risks for alcoholism and alcohol Some of these actions are definitive abuse, chronic obstructive pulmonary and easily identifiable, but others, like disease, depression, health-related emotional harm, are less obvious and quality of life, illicit drug use, ischemic open to interpretation. heart disease and liver disease. This For many of us, the effects also includes increased risk of childhood abuse are life- for financial stress, domestic long. Child abuse leaves us abuse, poor academic achieve- with beliefs about ourselves ment and suicide attempts. that prevent us from living life The ACE test is easily acces- to our full potential. When we sible online at www.acestudy. believe that we are not good org, and many other websites. enough, that we don’t matter The results have been repli- or that we are a disappoint- cated in many studies across ment, our actions reflect those Ellen the U.S. The study reveals that beliefs in several ways. many commonly occurring Yashinsky For some of us, our actions Chute family behaviors and commu- are attempts to negate those nication styles are damaging, beliefs by trying to prove with life-altering consequenc- our worthiness. For others, es for our children. our actions unconsciously reinforce Another important finding of the our beliefs through self-sabotage or study is that a high ACE score does self-criticism. For many of us, the not necessarily mean poor outcomes belief that we are not good enough is for the child. Some children are more so painful that we must adapt coping resilient. This can be a result of their mechanisms to numb the pain. There genetics or the presence of positive, is a broad array of these coping mech- affirming relationships that counteract anisms, from using drugs or alcohol, the adverse experiences. to compulsive shopping or compulsive What does the ACE study mean sexual behaviors. Workaholism, per- for us as individuals? As parents, are fectionism and overachieving can also we respectful and validating to our be pain-numbing. children? As grandparents, are we In my work as a psychotherapist, an affirming presence in the lives of I help my clients gain awareness of our grandchildren? As aunts, uncles, their leftover childhood beliefs and teachers, mentors, neighbors, do we the impact these beliefs have on their show respect to others, most espe- lives. Many people who suffer with cially children? It is easy to fall prey to negative beliefs about themselves do our own negative belief systems and so in isolation because they don’t think become critical or judgmental. Now others have similar experiences. We that we know the consequences, we now know that is incorrect. must try harder. Between 1995 and 1997, over 17,000 Understanding the ACE Study and Kaiser Permanente health plan mem- its conclusions is empowering. The bers voluntarily participated in a study data tell us what we can do to create to find out how their stressful or trau- trauma-informed families and com- matic childhood experiences affected munities, where all people, children their physical health as adults. The and adults can live in safety and instrument used in the study is the love. When all children can reach Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) their full potential, the limits are questionnaire. The test is composed of boundless for our Jewish and greater 10 questions that assess for childhood communities. abuse or neglect and family dysfunc- Ellen Yashinksy Chute is the chief community tion. Approximately two-thirds of the outreach officer at Jewish Family Service. respondents in the study reported at *