Case study participants were asked how many of the original ten ACEs statements they had experienced since birth. The small sample shows that three quarters (76%, 16) of respondents had experienced one or more of the original ten categories of adverse childhood experiences. Of these, 44% had experienced four or more ACEs. This is significant as research concludes that those with four or more ACEs are more likely to experience long-term health and wellbeing issues.
The second set of statements includes experiences such as parental separation, or a family history of mental illness, living in a household with someone who had a problem with drinking or drugs. Three quarters (76%) of respondents had experienced one or more of the ten statements. Half (50%) had experienced four or more adversities.
Emergent research on teenage brain development highlights that adolescence is a crucial time of brain growth where there is a second window of opportunity to repair damage and put young people back on track.
One of the reasons this limited evaluation sample provides a useful start point, is that research strongly advocates that good adult relationships can effectively build resilience to combat the effects of adversity. Therefore case study participants were asked a series of questions designed to identify what resilience factors were in place.
Results show that 75% recognised that getting an education was important. However only 26% felt they belonged in school while 53% said they didn’t feel they belonged. Over half (55%) said 'yes' they knew where to get help when they needed it and 40% said they sometimes knew.
When asked if their parents / carers know a lot about them such as who their friends are and what they like to do, 68% answered 'yes' they did and a quarter (26%) replied 'sometimes'.
When asked more specifically about the role that youth workers play in their lives, the majority (90%) agreed that they have a youth worker that looks out for them. Most (85%) agreed that they have access to youth services that support them when they need them. Three quarters (75%) believe that when they need help, they can speak to a youth worker that knows them. Finally, two-thirds agreed that when things don't go their way, youth workers help them to work it out.
Featuring strongly in the discussions is a perception of youth workers as 'good adults' that young people confide in, as this response laid bare:
"I fell into a deep state of depression after a friend committed suicide. My youth worker and friends helped me come to terms with it."
Positive relationships appear to hold true despite weaker connections in school and at home. Therefore the extent that youth work builds resilience during adolescence is worthy of further exploration in year three of Round 4.
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