Adverse experiences in early childhood, including incarceration of a parent, and physical and psychological abuse, impede on learning and behavior development as early as kindergarten, according to a study released by researchers at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Published online by Pediatrics, a journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the evidence adds to data indicating that maltreatment and dysfunction within a home during early childhood puts young children at-risk for poor health outcomes as adults.
The researchers examined data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study that included adverse childhood experiences as reported by the primary caregiver, as well as teacher-reported outcomes in academic achievement and behavior during kindergarten, a time during a child's life when academic and social skills have been shown to predict future achievement. Data on more than 1000 children from 20 large cities in the United States were reviewed in this study. More than half of the children had been exposed to at least one traumatic experience and 12 percent were exposed to three or more adverse childhood experiences, as defined by the original Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. In addition, African-American children and children with family income less than $20,000 were more likely to experience at least one adverse experience than non-African-American children or those with greater family incomes.
Results of the analysis indicated a pattern in which children who experienced an increased number of adverse experiences exhibited below-average performance academically, behaviorally and socially. Specifically, language and literacy skills were below proficient, and attention and aggression were increased behavior concerns.
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