Ann Perko
Florida State University
Karen Oehme
Florida State University
Elizabeth C. Ray
Florida State University
Laura Arpan
Florida State University
James J. Clark
Florida State University
Abstract
Colleges are increasingly seeking ways to promote the behavioral health and wellbeing of their students. The current study conducted at a large public university in Florida identified a significant relationship between students’ (N = 1,043) adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and their self-reported resilience. Across the entire sample, as the number of reported ACEs increased, resilience scores, an indicator of wellbeing, decreased. Group comparisons revealed that women, non-whites, and non-heterosexual students reported significantly more ACEs and less resilience than their male, white, and heterosexual peers, respectively. A linear regression analysis revealed that the relationship between ACEs and resilience is moderated by gender, such that for women—who make up a majority of college students in the U.S.—an increase in the number of ACEs predicted a decrease in reported resilience. Others have emphasized the need for the K–12 system to be “trauma-informed.” This study reveals the need for Florida’s institutions of higher learning to be aware of the prevalence and impact of ACEs to better serve students. Campus strategies and targeted intervention efforts are discussed.
Citation
Perko, A., Oehme, K., Ray, E.C., Arpan, L., & Clark, J.J. (2020). The Vulnerability Gap: Group Differences in Childhood Trauma and Resilience
on a Florida College Campus. Florida Journal of Educational Research, 58(6), 1-19.
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