The Islamist group Boko Haram, which kidnapped more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls, has issued a video demanding the release of imprisoned militants . The group say the girls will be held until the prisoners are freed. About 100 of the girls are...
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Naval Health Research Center have found that mindfulness training -- a combination of meditation and body awareness exercises -- can help U.S. Marine Corps personnel...
Study highlights need for consistent bedtime, experts say Young children who get too little sleep are more likely than others to be obese by age 7, according to a new study. Previous research has suggested insufficient sleep before age 4 raised the...
Spring means budget season for local governments across the United States, and Steve Novick, a city commissioner in Portland, Oregon, has a proposal he thinks could save his city a nice chunk of change: slashing funding for the Portland Police...
Q. What personal or professional moment or event in your life inspired you to work on ACEs? A. When I was four-and-a-half years old, I saw my father murder my grandmother. My father was quite a demanding man -- he felt as if everyone owed him. But he...
...Mary Anne Layden of the University of Pennsylvania, who specializes in sexual trauma, said pornography has been a factor in every case of sexual violence that she has treated as a psychotherapist. "The earlier males are exposed to pornography, the...
[President Barack Obama, students during "My Brother's Keeper" event. AP Photo.] In an op-ed for NJ.com, ACEsConnection member Father Jeff Putthoff says that if President Barack Obama wants his "My Brother's Keeper" initiative to work, he'd best get the latest brain science. Here's part of the beginning: If you had just been knocked unconscious on the football field by a 300-pound linebacker, causing you to break a leg,...
[NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. AP Photo] An NFL player busted for smoking marijuana, or any other drug listed on the league’s substance-abuse policy, knows exactly what kind of punishment the league can hand down. The first offense is somewhat of a freebie, the second offense lands the player a four-game suspension, while a third instance will result in a year-long suspension. The rules, and punishment for breaking them, are laid out in a no-nonsense, step-by-step...
Dave McCollum, a retired physician who integrated ACEs and trauma-informed practices in his emergency room work, is now active in Minnesota's ACEs endeavors. He narrated this captivating slide show about the 2013 Minnesota Student Survey, whose...
In 2010, I was asked to write an article for a parenting magazine regarding child abuse. My initial response was, "No way!" Having had a decent childhood myself and nearly ready to launch two kids of my own, I could not wrap my mind around writing...
A report out this week from the World Bank Group examined some of the challenges facing women around the world and uncovered some unequivocally devastating finds. As shown in the map below, a significant share of women, especially in Africa and South...
[ Matthew Woitunski photo] It is well documented that childhood abuse, neglect and household dysfunction are disproportionately present in the backgrounds of homeless adults, and that these experiences adversely impact child development and a wide range of adult outcomes. However, few studies have examined the cumulative impact of adverse childhood experiences on homeless adults with mental illness. This study examines adverse events in childhood as predictors of duration of homelessness,...
[Susanna Visser explaining report at George Mental Health Forum. Dustin Chambers photo.] More than 10,000 American toddlers 2 or 3 years old are being medicated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder outside established pediatric guidelines, according to data presented on Friday by an official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . The report, which found that toddlers covered by Medicaid are particularly prone to be put on medication such as Ritalin and Adderall, is...
Though nearly 20 percent of Americans have physical or mental disabilities, studies show that less than 20 percent of medical schools teach their students how to talk with disabled patients about their needs. More than half of medical school deans...
I once met Allan Schore, a founder of Attachment Theory, at a UCLA conference. I was a total stranger, but his actions showed: he walks the walk on attachment. He got that “emotions are ok” and only emotions can heal attachment pain. Dr....