Editor:
Congratulations on the CNPA first place award for coverage of youth and education, as well as the second place award for Jonathon Webster’s infographic, “The Cost of Childhood Trauma.” (“Winning While Losing,” May 27.)
Iridian Casarez’ Oct. 1 article, “Reaching for Resilience,” was an insightful work, weaving crucial elements on health antecedents, the Humboldt experience and the many local efforts to improve our community health.
Many thanks to the North Coast Journal for its community-focused, candid lens and the NCJ team that supported all that went into the article — and to Iridian Casarez for her discernment, journalistic skills and solid understanding of the science of trauma and resilience. As you know, the California Surgeon General’s Office featured the article in their October 2020 ACEs Aware newsletter, website and social media outreach on adverse childhood experiences.
It takes understanding, collective effort and heart to create the change that will nurture lifelong healthy outcomes for Humboldt’s youth. “Reaching for Resilience” not only took a strong step toward that goal, it also reached thousands of others in California with the message that communities can work together to create community health.
My hat is off to Ms. Casarez and the NCJ team.
Mary Ann Hansen, Eureka
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Reaching for Resilience
This article appears in ‘Mission, Values, Vision’.
“It takes understanding, collective effort and heart to create the change that will nurture lifelong healthy outcomes for Humboldt’s youth. ‘Reaching for Resilience’ not only took a strong step toward that goal, it also reached thousands of others in California with the message that communities can work together to create community health.”
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If we, society, are to avoid the most dreaded, invasive and reactive means of intervention — that of governmental forced removal of children from dysfunctional/abusive home environments — maybe we then should be willing to try an unconventional proactive means of preventing some future dysfunctional/abusive family situations. Education, perhaps through child development science high-school curriculum, might be one way. Sadly, due to the common OIIIMOBY mindset (Only If It’s In My Own Back Yard), the prevailing collective attitude, however implicit or subconscious, basically follows: ‘Why should I care — I’m soundly raising my kid?’ or ‘What’s in it for me, the taxpayer, if I support child development programs for the sake of others’ bad parenting?’
I can’t help but wonder how many instances there have been wherein immense long-term suffering by children of dysfunctional rearing might have been prevented had the parent(s) received, as high school students, some crucial child development science education by way of mandatory curriculum? After all, dysfunctional and/or abusive parents, for example, may not have had the chance to be anything else due to their lack of such education and their own dysfunctional/abusive rearing as children.
“The way a society functions is a reflection of the childrearing practices of that society. Today we reap what we have sown. Despite the well-documented critical nature of early life experiences, we dedicate few resources to this time of life. We do not educate our children about child development, parenting, or the impact of neglect and trauma on children.”
—Dr. Bruce D. Perry, Ph.D. & Dr. John Marcellus