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Despite their names, state “departments of correction” in the United States aren’t known for correcting much. More than seven of every 10 prisoners, according to some studies, are arrested again less than four years after they are released. And while recent years have seen the beginning of a national decline in the number of male prisoners, the situation has not improved much for women, who remain incarcerated at stubbornly high levels. Connecticut is trying to push back by focusing on one...

In the era of President Donald Trump , inflammatory rhetoric about immigrants flows fast and free . And in the midst of tight mid-term elections, the Republican Party has largely abandoned campaign messages focused on tax cuts and the economy in favor of divisive (and misleading ) advertisements suggesting that Democratic candidates support terrorists, or want to throw open America's borders to violent criminals. Underlying many of these ads is a narrative popularized by the president, one...

On any given day, many of us wrestle with our fears. We might be contemplating a career change, telling someone we love them, or wanting to speak up for what’s right when we see injustice. But a voice within us pipes up saying that there’s no point, or that we aren’t really capable of creating the life or world we desire. Whether you call it “fear” or some other name—anxiety, stress, discomfort, life challenges—the cycle often plays out in the same way. We have a desire for change, but our...

Anxious depression, often resulting from childhood trauma, causes body changes which mean that standard depression treatments are often ineffective, according to new research presented at the ECNP in Barcelona. Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects up to 20 percent of Europeans, and around half of these people have "anxious depression" (psychological anxiety like high levels of anxiety and nervousness, plus somatic anxiety, such as gastrointestinal symptoms); which is associated with...

We know that the needs of a child are profoundly linked to the needs of the adults in their lives. That’s why we launched the Quality Improvement Center on Domestic Violence in Child Welfare (QIC-DVCW) to test interventions to improve how child welfare agencies and their partners work together to help families experiencing domestic violence. Today, Futures Without Violence, along with our partners, is excited to announce the launch of a new online hub for the QIC-DVCW: www.dvchildwelfare.org...

There is a little 4-year-old preschool girl who gathers food for her family by putting her school lunch in her pants pockets. Chicken and french fries have been found, uneaten, in her pockets. The same little girl refuses to eat her afternoon snack because she told her teacher she was "saving her food for mommy." Her compassionate teacher reassured the little girl that school has extra food to share with mommy. In fact, the school staff was so concerned about the family that they pooled...

Looking for your regional community facilitator? Seeking to meet and connect with people who are creating a more peaceful and trauma informed world? Have a book, webinar, conference to share? The ACEs Connection team will be at the 2018 ACEs Conference. We're eager to meet you, hear your ideas, support your work, and to learn and share the latest ACEs and Resilience Sciences. We'll be looking for you in San Francisco to help you Meet your Community Facilitator and others from the ACEs...

Children with intellectual disabilities and their families are currently underrepresented in international ACEs research, while they have been found to be even more likely to be exposed to a wider range of adverse life events or traumatic events than their peers. Therefore, by means of a case-file search in Dutch residential care the prevalence of ACEs in children with intellectual disabilities and their parents were explored, aiming to make recommendations for further research. The article...

Youth exposure to trauma is a highly prevalent public health issue in the United States, particularly in urban communities. Although trauma-informed care (TIC) training of service providers to address this challenge is increasing nationwide, we lack empirical evidence regarding the feasibility and acceptability of cross-organizational TIC training, including perspectives of training participants. With support from the NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and in...

"Someone who has experienced trauma also has gifts to offer all of us- in their depth, in their knowledge of our universal vulnerability, and their experience of the power of compassion.”- Sharon Salzberg What a week. You’d have to be living under a rock if you haven’t at all tuned in to the tumultuous news cycle in the US. Those that are survivors of trauma (specifically sexual assault and other forms of abuse) are incredibly triggered, and those that provide psychotherapy for trauma...

11.2 percent. More than 1 in 10. This is the number of adults in Alaska, that had experienced having a family member in jail at some point during their childhood. Seventy percent of those reporting an incarcerated family member grew up with four or more adverse childhood experiences (i.e. witnessed or experienced domestic violence, substance abuse in the household, sexual abuse, neglect, emotional abuse, household mental illness). These ACEs can lead to physical and mental health issues...

If you haven't heard about this yet, this is an amazing opportunity to lift up and support the resilience of foster youth by publishing a book of their stories! Here is a link to a video explaining the book project and their kickstarter campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMGATnMOTVw&feature=youtu.be