Rates of Recent Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Indigenous Children

Authors

Emily A. Waterman, Bennington CollegeFollow
Katie Edwards, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Natira Mullet, North Dakota State UniversityFollow
Ramona Herrington, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Skyler Hopfauf, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Preciouse Trujillo, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Naomi Even-Aberle, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lorey Wheeler, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

ORCID IDs

Emily A. Waterman http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6214-223X

Date of this Version

11-9-2023

Citation

Published in Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma 2023

doi:10.1007/s40653-023-00587-1

Comments

Copyright © 2023 by the Authors, under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Used by permission.

Abstract

The current paper describes rates of recent (past six months) adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and examines the association of ACEs with cultural connection and depressive symptoms among Indigenous children aged 10 to 14 (N = 177; mean age = 11.8; 48.3% boys; 44.3% girls; 7.4% another gender identity). Children completed baseline surveys as part of a larger evaluation of a culturally grounded, strengths-focused, family-based program to prevent ACEs. Surveys included an inclusive measure of ACEs developed for the current study, an adapted measure of connection to culture, and the Children’s Depression Screener. Results for ACEs indicated that 18.6% of Indigenous children reported none, 37.2% reported one to three, and 44.2% reported four or more in the past six months. Importantly, children who reported no ACEs reported greater cultural connection than children who reported one to three ACEs. Depressive symptoms were higher among children who reported one to three and four or more ACEs compared to children who reported no ACEs.