Abuse and Neglect Literally Changes the Wiring of Children's Brains

I had a great opportunity to participate in a day-long session yesterday conducted by Dr. Joy Osofsky - a psychologist, psychoanalyst, and a professor in pediatrics and psychiatry at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans at the State of Oklahoma's Children's Behavioral Health Conference.

Dr. Osofsky is Co-Director of the Louisiana Rural Trauma Services Center and a member of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.  She is an international expert in how children's mental health and behavior are impacted by abuse, neglect, and other forms of trauma.  An incredibly well-published researcher and practitioner, her latest book Young Children and Trauma: Intervention and Treatment is a great read for anyone involved in mental health, child welfare, the judiciary, and law enforcement.

Here are some of the power things Dr. Osofsky had to say - as well as some great resources she mentioned that I encourage you to follow-up on:
 

Q: What are the impacts of trauma on children?

Trauma derails the normal developmental trajectory of children in the following ways:

• Developmental delays (Dr. Osofsky said that it is very "rare" for there to not be a developmental delay in an abuse/neglect situation)
  
  
    
• Emotional dysregulation - a term used in the mental health community to refer to an emotional response that is poorly modulated, and does not fall within the conventionally accepted range of emotive response (e.g., mood swings).  Possible manifestations of emotional dysregulation include angry outbursts of behavior outbursts such as destroying or throwing objects, aggression towards self or others, and threats to kill oneself.  These variations usually occur in seconds to minutes or hours. Emotional dysregulation can lead to behavioral problems and can interfere with a person's social interactions and relationships at home, in school, or at a place of employment.
  
  
    
• Difficulty forming attachments in childhood and later in life
  
  
    
• Over-reactive fear - stress response
  
  
    
• Language problems often occur as a result of trauma
  
  
     

Q: How do children experience trauma?

• Loss of trust
• Uncertainty and new fears
• Emotional instability
• Behavioral changes
• A return to earlier behaviors (e.g. bed wetting)
• Post-traumatic stress syndrome
   

Q: How are children traumatized?

• Direct abuse / neglect
• Living in and around high-levels of community violence
• Domestic violence
• Hearing about traumatic events
• Exposure to the media (especially if children are exposed to violence in the media without a caregiver to monitor that exposure)

Q: How is the brain impacted by trauma?

• "Abuse and neglect literally changes the wiring of the brains of young children." Dr. Jack Schonkoff, Director of the Center on the Developing Child
   
• When children are faced with prolonged / persistent trauma (e.g., abuse and neglect), the levels of cortisol in their brains is increased (Stress hormone).  The increased level of cortisone in the developing brain literally "poisons the brain," according toe Dr. Schonkoff as it disrupts normal and healthy brain development.
   
• There is significant research that demonstrates that abuse and neglect impacts the brain development of young children.  Learn more at: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/

Dr. Jack Schonkoff also has a great book called From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development.


One more thing. . .
There is so much more I could share.  The last thing I will suggest you look at is the Still Face video.  This video (the experiment itself) shows a clear demonstration of the stress that babies experience when they are being ignored, neglected or are lacking the engagement of their caregiver.  It shows us that babies DO know what is going on in their environment and are stressed by a lack of stimulation and engagement.

- Katie Fitzgerald

Take Action to Prevent Child Abuse

April is Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month but I wish we didn't have "awareness months." An "awareness month" suggests that an issue deserves our attention just one month per year. How sad, when most things that really matter to us get our "awareness" every day... our children, our spouses, our jobs, etc. "Awareness months" are also out of control. Consider National Clown College Month, National Wear Brown Shoes Month and don't forget about National Don't Eat Cheese After Noon Month. At the risk of offending aspiring, brown-shoe wearing, lactose intolerant clowns, I'd like to propose an alternative way.

Let's resolve to pick the issue(s) that matter to us and be both aware of that issue, and active on that issue throughout the year! I hope I can convince you to make one of your issues the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

You might be surprised to learn that Cleveland County ranks third among Oklahoma counties in the number of confirmed cases of abuse and neglect - a statistic that does not help us in our quest to be one of the "best places to live, work and raise a family." For the hundreds of children who are abused or neglected in our community each year, that ideal is far from their reality.

Without intensive therapeutic intervention, children who experience physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect are more likely to suffer from anxiety and mood disorders, behavioral health problems, and to repeat patterns of abuse and neglect when they become parents., Tragically, some children do not survive the abuse at all.

But preventing and treating abuse and neglect is not just the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do. Child abuse and neglect is a community issue - a public health issue. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente, in one of the largest studies of its kind, documented the relationship between abuse, neglect, and other traumas in childhood (e.g., domestic violence and substance abuse in the home, incarceration of a parent, etc.) and health conditions later in life, such as heart disease, lung and liver disease, cancer, obesity, alcoholism, and depression.

Abuse and neglect also impact a child's ability to learn. International business leaders like Warren Buffett and Oklahoma's George Kaiser are putting millions - if not billions - into efforts to ensure that babies and young children have healthy starts and nurturing environments. These and other business leaders are approaching this issue with the same passion and savvy that propelled them to economic success. They make decisions based on evidence and the return on investment. In this case, the evidence is clear that quality programs that support healthy learning and nurturing environments for vulnerable children produce real results. For every $1 invested in those programs, there is a $7 - $8 return. The paradigm has shifted. It is no longer just about helping those children; it is now also about doing what is in our own best interest.

Yet, the problem is growing and the leaders are too few and far between. The downturn in the economy has exacerbated problems for families and children. In 2009, Medicaid paid for 60% of all births in Oklahoma, 42% of all births were to single parents, and one out of every four children in Oklahoma were born into poverty. The State of Oklahoma's investments in early childhood, mental health services, domestic violence and abuse prevention are evaporating at the same time the problems are increasing. It is a perfect storm.

This is where YOU come in. Norman's children need you and they need you today! They need you to volunteer to mentor them, tutor them, and spend time with them. Norman's children need you to watch out for them, to speak to legislators and city leaders about them, and to invest your talents and resources in programs that serve them. There are many organizations in Norman committed to protecting and nurturing children. Now that you are aware, please take action not just this month but throughout the year.

For more information on how you can be involved in preventing child abuse and neglect, please contact the Center for Children and Families, Inc. www.ccfinorman.org or 405-364-1420.

 - Katie Fitzgerald

Katie Fitzgerald is the Executive Director of the Center for Children and Families, Inc.