Rotary Club of Warren County: Christa Shifflett presents a powerful new approach

Christa Shifflett, from the Warren Coalition, presented a program on Wednesday, in which she laid out the need for mentoring of students under a program that the Coalition has developed. Quite often, she pointed out, there is a residual effect when young people witness violence, abuse, or any number of other traumatic events, and this has a long term bearing on their development and life. Under this development, which she referred to as ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences), the trauma follows the child throughout his or her life. According to one study on rats, this effect is found in the genes. This means that the boy or girl could even have a reaction as a result of something a parent might have suffered, as well as abuse they may have suffered or witnessed.

One of the primary needs is for mentors for these children, who are about 11 years old. The mentors would meet with the child at lunch for about an hour, one day a week. These children may have been abused or have witnessed abuse. This has had a major effect on their development as they grew up, and has short circuited many of the developmental processes that would have occurred. She compared these children to groundhogs, who, when they pop up out of their holes, look around in all directions to sense danger and make sure they are safe. These children often do the same–they are constantly looking around, often standing with their back to the wall, not willing or able to sit still in their seats, constantly moving. This is because they don’t feel safe. But often this isn’t recognized and the kids are yelled at or sent to the principal. They don’t sit still because they are constantly looking out because they sense danger or they don’t feel safe, and they are punished.

Shifflett noted that studies of the brain at age 3 for children from a nourishing environment, and kids without that type of environment, have shown quite different development. But this is not only the case with children in school situations–she works in the jail two times a week, and can see the effects on these adults who have experienced the traumas as a child, with exactly the same situation and the same results.

These effects are real. Whether they are the result of heredity, or of childhood abuse or childhood trauma, it affects life choices, actions, and health. Shifflett pointed out that as adults, many have a life expectancy 20 years less than the average. This is why it is so important to reach out to these children (as well as the adults), to let them know that someone cares, by mentoring them and letting them know that they can have a better future. As she admitted, this was an hour and a half program in 20 minutes and this write-up only scratches the surface of her presentation.

For the complete program and to learn more about Rotary Club of Warren County, please go to www.warrrencountyrotary.org.