Limiting impact of trauma on young people
Stirling Council hears about work done
Work to help limit the impact of childhood trauma on Stirling’s young people has been outlined.
At last Thursday’s full meeting of Stirling Council, officers gave an insight into research on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) - including abuse, bereavement, bullying, neglect, divorce/parental separation, and witnessing substance abuse.
ACE is commonly used nationally to describe stressful or traumatic events that occur in childhood and officers from the council’s education department explained the background to the topic and current work in the area to help youngsters.
Early intervention and prevention is seen as key to the strategy, with charities such as NSPCC Scotland pioneering work into stopping significant ACEs before they happen.
The term ACE originated in the United States when a large scale study between 1995 and 1997 established that around two thirds of the 17,000 adults surveyed reported encountering at least one ACE. Those who reported four or more ACEs have an increased risk of poor health and failing to get on in life.
Recent studies in England and Wales reflect those figures and although there is no current Scottish survey, reports suggest the statistics are likely to be the same, if not worse, because of Scotland’s higher mortality and morbidity rates.
Chief social work officer Marie Valente said: “If there’s one supportive adult in that child’s life there’s less of an impact in later life. It could be any adult that could make that difference, not just a parent of immediate caregiver.”
Officers said specific work was being undertaken on anti-bullying approaches.
Ms Valente also said a mentoring co-ordinator had recently been appointed and the service had been “blown away” by the response from the community to an appeal for people to become mentors. She added: “In fact, we are having to turn people away so the message is definitely getting out there but we now need to get more resource to support them.”
Stirling East Labour councillor Chris Kane recounted an experience while canvassing during election time.
“I knocked at one door,” he said. “A woman told me her son was being bullied and asked what could the council do to help. I stumbled my way through a response and gave what I think was an adequate answer but certainly when we as councillors are doing surgeries or on doorsteps we could all do with some information on what to do when asked for that first bit of advice.”
Children and young people convener Councillor Susan McGill said after the meeting: “The discussion gave us an insight into the difficulties some children face across Stirling’s diverse society, as well as the work being done to help them recover. Understanding the impact adversity has on shaping a child’s life is key to preventing harm and poor health later on in adulthood.”