Every child deserves a happy childhood, but unfortunately, many do not receive one.

A child's childhood can be filled with a variety of 'bad' experiences. While child abuse at the hands of guardians remains one of the major contributors, children can struggle with other adverse experiences as well. Whatever the negative childhood experience was, it can have a long-term negative impact on the child's health as an adult. This is due to the fact that early childhood and adolescence are highly formative years in a person's cognitive and personal development.

Here's how bad childhood experiences can affect your health for the rest of your life.

Disrupted Development

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a significant impact on a child's cognitive development. Constant stress and trauma during childhood can limit the number of neurodevelopmental changes that a child naturally undergoes. As a result, children suffering from ACEs may be less self-assured, mentally strong, and confident.

Reckless and Risky Behaviors

Children who do not have a positive upbringing are more likely to engage in risky behaviors as adults. According to various studies, childhood trauma has been linked to adult addiction. Children who are unable to process their trauma in healthy ways develop toxic coping mechanisms. These risky coping mechanisms are frequently manifested as substance abuse, nicotine addiction, and alcoholism.

Chronic Diseases

Adults who do not properly process their ACEs may lose motivation to care for their health. Their disregard for personal hygiene and maintaining a healthy lifestyle frequently leads to the development of chronic diseases. Chronic diseases and disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic stress are common in adults who have experienced childhood trauma. These diseases obviously have a negative impact on their long-term health and can result in premature death.

Early Death

Early death typically refers to a person dying much sooner than they should have.  In the United States, the average life expectancy is around 77 years.  Adults who grew up with ACEs and developed health problems as a result of them may die before the age of 50.  The greater a child's number of ACEs, the greater his or her chances of dying young. 

Social Workers Role

Social workers who provide child welfare and family services struggle every day to manage caseloads just like these. FAMCare was developed in response to a need for child welfare software  among Missouri agencies.  Two decades later, FAMCare is a leader for agencies who want to improve how they manage their data and outcomes for society's most vulnerable. 

In contrast, we continue to strive to be more than just another software company. We publish articles on our blog that highlight and inform people about key relevant topic matter regarding social work. We've chosen a few other blogs on this topic that we think you'll enjoy.

Child Welfare Workers...Managing for Outcomes

Child Welfare...An Overwhelming Need

Tips for Child Welfare Organizations to Improve Handling of Caseloads