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For generations, parents have told kids to go outside and play. Now, a new study suggests an added benefit to that advice -- physical activity may lower children's risk of depression. The researchers assessed about 700 children at ages 6, 8 and 10. Kids who got regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise were less likely to develop depression over those four years, the investigators found. Previous studies have found that physically active teens and adults seem to have a lower risk of depression.

As we begin another Black History Month, it is time to celebrate the contributions and history of African Americans in this country. Along with the celebration of progress, it’s also a time to reflect on areas for improvement. How young black boys are treated in the criminal justice system is one of those areas. We are in a national crisis. Across the country our justice system is marked by disparate racial outcomes at every stage of the process — especially for those who are most...

“Resilience is a message of hope,” says Debbie Alleyne, a child welfare specialist at the Center for Resilient Children at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health in Villanova, PA. “It is important for everyone to know that no matter their experience, there is always hope for a positive outcome. Risk does not define destiny.” Sounds fantastic. But what exactly does resilience mean? Resilience generally describes the bounce-back ability of individuals who return to the similar shape, form and...

Katie Rosanbalm, PhD is a Research Scholar at the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University. She lives in Durham, North Carolina. She's friendly, optimistic and informed, blending academic smarts with kindergarten teacher warmth and enthusiasm. I saw her give gave a presentation that included talking about self-regulation last summer. But first, she led an audience of over 150 people through a brief breathing exercise. She is the real deal when it comes to making theory and...

Debbie Alleyne's work is interesting, important and relevant to many of us here in the ACEsConnectionNetwork. She shared far more than I could include in the " Putting resilience and resilience surveys under the microscope," story published on ACEsTooHigh today. Luckily, we space to get more in-depth here. More about Debbie Alleyne's job. "I am Early Childhood Specialist, National Trainer and Author for the Center for Resilient Children (DCRC). Our mission is to promote social and emotional...

Before Claire Ranit spoke to her local Rotary Club about ACEs science, she needed to know if her listeners would be elephants or riders.

See the full infographic at http://www.dailyinfographic.com/nine-easy-ways-to-become-a-happier-person

People’s past, present and future are interconnected, and so is our country’s. Being willing to consider the connection between historical trauma and present-day experiences and distress is essential on a personal level – and also on a national one, especially as we collectively work through the bruises of the recent campaign and election. Post the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the president of the U.S. last week, we must consider how historical trauma may be shaping reactions to this...

After meeting with Wall Street executives today, President Donald Trump signed a directive to begin dismantling the federal regulations enacted after the financial crisis to prevent the same thing from happening again. The end of Dodd-Frank could return the nation’s financial system to the Wild West days that prevailed before 2008—the lending environment that precipitated the Great Recession. President Trump’s sweeping directive is darkly ironic. For starters, he castigated the Wall Street...

As government agencies increasingly turn their attention to “homegrown terrorism,” it’s important to note who’s being targeted and who isn’t. Reuters reported this week that President Trump might be refocusing the federal “ Countering Violent Extremism ” program, which deploys resources for monitoring groups such as white supremacists and militias, into a program that focuses solely on acts of terror committed by Muslims . The Southern Poverty Law Center says this would be a bad idea . “In...

There is considerable enthusiasm for technologies that allow people to simulate an engagement with a physical world. It’s said that Virtual Reality will transform education, therapy, marketing, fitness, video games, and, of course, porn. And some believe it’ll make us better people. As Chris Milk puts it in his TED talk , VR is “the ultimate empathy machine.” Perhaps it can be utilized to make us care about—and help—groups such as refugees, the homeless, and those with physical and mental...

A new study shows that veterans could better transition to civilian life by volunteering with civic service programs in their communities. “When veterans complete their military service, they go through a transition like all of us when we change jobs, move to a new town or retire. It is a transition that takes focus, deep reflection, and new information to discover the next challenge they will pursue along their journey in life,” said Monica Matthieu, Ph.D., the lead author of the study and...