an antidote for the effects of child abuse

by Richard L. Gaskill, Ed.D.

Clinical Director Sumner Mental Health Center

Fellow Child Trauma Academy Advances in neuroscience research methods in the past 10 years or so have pro-duced an astounding new body of knowledge about the process of child brain development. These new insights provide profound implications for promoting healthy child development as well as the catastrophic effects of ad-verse childhood experiences such as abuse and neglect. The research of brain development informs us that a child’s brain organizes and develops in a systematic and predictable sequence throughout life. The first three to four years of life, however, account for 80 to 90% of brain development. We also now understand that both biology and experience guide and influence this developmental se-quence, making the brain "use-dependent". While brain growth is most rapid in early childhood, the developmental trajectory continues at a predictable fashion through adult-hood.

Each of the developmental milestones parents and professionals eagerly await and docu-ment is really the growth, maturation, and connecting of neurons in the child’s brain. Ini-tially, we learn through physical sensory interaction with people and the world around us and later through positive relationships with caregivers. These experiences gradually or-ganize our brain (memory templates) to regulate our bodies, regulate our relationships, and gain intellectual skills and abilities, ultimately resulting in a competent, mature adult. Ideally, the adult is now capable of replicating their own developmental experience with their children due to the successful neural organization of their brain.

This landmark research also explains the devastating effects of child abuse and neglect. The same use-dependent quality of brain organization that creates healthy adults, capable of social and emotional competence also explains the lasting damage to children exposed to powerful adverse conditions. This explains why abused and neglected children suffer from a plethora of maladies. When normal brain development is altered by fetal exposure to drugs, chemicals, poor health care, violence, abuse, neglect, maternal depression or a host of other damaging events the results can be disorganized or dysfunctional brain development, even loss of brain tissue. Research looking at these untoward infant and childhood events note poor verbal fluency, poor academic abilities, reduced coping and problem solving skills, poor emotional regulation, and exaggerated irritability when frustrated. Physiological ab-normalities are also noted, deficient metabolism, absence of normal weight and height gains, elevated white counts, rapid heart rates, elevated body temperatures, abnormal EEGs and increased incidence of medical prob-lems. The culmination of these anomalies results socially in fewer high school and college graduates, increased criminality, increased incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, increased teen pregnancy, increased difficulty with re-lationships, increased incidence of criminality, and less earning potential. In short, failure to attend to the develop-mental needs of children during the critical stages of brain development results in a great burden on society. A number of studies have shown that society saves $17 for every $1 invested before age 5. Sadly, 90% of the money invested in children today occurs after age 5.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. This month and throughout the year, Communities In Schools of Wich-ita/Sedgwick County encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making our community a better place for families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help prevent child abuse and neglect by strengthening families and communities.

Research shows that five important factors are present in healthy families. Promoting these factors is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. They are:

 Nurturing and attachment

 Parental Resilience

 Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development

 Social connections

 Concrete supports for parents