OPINION: Building a positive path forward for Alaska’s kids

Take a moment and remember a time when you felt safe and allowed to be your true self as a kid.

For me, it was a regular day of name-calling and bullying. It was so typical I almost became immune to it. But one day, it got past my fictional armor, causing a feeling of darkness. My ninth-grade teacher must have seen it on my face, even though I was trying to hide it. She came up to me, smiled, and gave me a hug as she welcomed me into the classroom. I felt the light break through the darkness almost instantly and I knew it was OK.

Like mine, yours probably wasn’t a major event or moment. Yet, it left a mark on my life. These positive experiences often seem small, things that soon might fade from adults’ memories. But they can mean a lot to kids and are often remembered years, or even decades, later. These moments are so foundational that they even combat the negative effects of adversity and toxic stress kids face.

Most of Alaska’s kids grow up with the positive experiences they need to thrive — the strong, stable relationships with adults; the safe environments for living and learning; the opportunities for them to engage in their community and to have unstructured play with other kids. Unfortunately, though, many of Alaska’s children do not. More than 17% of adults in our state say they experienced four or more potentially traumatic experiences growing up. Alaska has one of the highest rates of child abuse and neglect, per capita, in the nation. These high rates tell us that we need to be consistently working to build a brighter future for Alaska’s children, youth and families.

It might seem counterintuitive, but given these statistics, it’s time for a change in the narrative for kids in our state. During Child Abuse Prevention Month this April, let’s shift the focus away from abuse and instead refocus on how we can build strong supports, resources and tools that allow our children to grow up in safe and healthy families and communities. By working hard to promote positive childhood experiences, we can combat the negative physical and mental health impacts that adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, can have on kids throughout their lives. Research shows that when children are exposed to more positive experiences, they tend to have better mental health as adults, even if they also experienced a lot of childhood trauma. In fact, new research shows that the absence of positive experiences during childhood can be more damaging to a child’s future mental and physical health than the presence of ACEs, those adverse — negative — childhood experiences.

There’s no one definition of a positive childhood experience. They look different for every culture, community, family and child. But one thing we have in common across our state is that countless organizations, community groups and individuals are laying the groundwork to create positive childhood experiences for all our children, and every Alaskan has a part to play.

In Sitka, for example, Sitka Tribe of Alaska plans cultural activities for families that include beach excursions and wildlife cruises. Families, many of whom have not been out on the water in years, harvest traditional foods and learn or relearn Lingít place names. Outings like these provide safe and fun environments for meeting other families, deepening cultural connections, and time for parents and children to build strong, meaningful relationships.

In Fairbanks, the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living is developing a culturally relevant running curriculum for youth. Through indoor and outdoor exercise, youth will learn lessons on healthy choices taught through traditional Alaska Native stories and words that reflect the diversity and culture of Interior Alaska. Programs like this help teens make new friends and develop role models in the community, all while keeping them safe and occupied with positive and healthy activities after school and on weekends.

This April, ask yourself how you can support groups in your community that are helping children and teens access these key experiences.

Does your community have a youth mentorship program? Sign up! Strong relationships with trusted adults help teens develop healthy emotional skills. What safe spaces do the youth in your community have access to? Consider volunteering or donating to a local teen recreation center. What holidays or cultural events does your community celebrate together? Consider how you can help children and families where you live participate in these events — our children’s connections to their communities and cultures help them develop strong identities.

While these steps might seem small, they make a big difference for Alaska’s kids. Every positive childhood experience we create lays another brick in the foundation of a child’s long-term health and wellbeing. This April is just the start — we can champion positive childhood experiences all year long and together, work to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Trevor Storrs is the president and CEO of the Alaska Children’s Trust, or ACT, the lead statewide agency that addresses the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Since its conception, ACT has led the way in building awareness, providing education, and bringing communities together statewide to prevent child abuse and neglect.

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To learn more about positive childhood experiences, register to join ACT’s free virtual HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) training on Friday, April 28, from 12 pm – 1 pm or schedule a free training for your organization by emailing eposner@alaskachildrenstrust.org.

If a child does disclose abuse to you, believe them. Immediately report the allegation by calling 1-800-478-4444 or emailing reportchildabuse@alaska.gov. Every victim deserves to have their case investigated by a trained expert. And, by listening, believing, and reporting, you’ll let that child know their voice has power and their safety matters. They’ll remember your support, and it will make a difference in their life.

Learn more about Child Abuse Prevention Month and building positive childhood experiences at www.alaskachildrenstrust.org/child-abuse-prevention-month or find Alaska Children’s Trust on social media.

The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.