Journal of Student Research 2018

Examining the Lived Experiences of Individuals with Multiple Childhood Traumas Examining the Lived Experiences of Individuals with Multiple Childhood Traumas

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Hazel Woody Senior, Psychology

Brittany Miskowiec PhD, MSW, LICSW

Abstract

Using participants from the University of Wisconsin-Stout who were enrolled in the Social Work Professional Certificate (SWPC) program on campus, the research examined how an individual’s adverse childhood experiences led them into the field of Social Work. The research also assessed the impacts of parental substance use in the home. This paper presents an overview of the phenomenological research process and the research findings. It was discovered that each participant had chosen the field of Social Work as a result of childhood trauma. All indicated that they wanted to help individuals overcome similar obstacles. Examining the Lived Experiences of Individuals with Multiple Childhood Traumas Introduction Society often dismisses the relationship between a troubled childhood and a troubled adult, however, adverse childhood experiences have the power to physically alter an individual’s biological structure and function (Felitti et al., 1998). Pediatrician Nadine Harris sums up these assumptions very well in her TED talk on childhood trauma: “You have a rough childhood; you’re more likely to drink and smoke and do all these things that are going to ruin your health. This isn’t science. This is just bad behavior.” (Harris, 2014). The fact is, the mental and emotional instability caused by childhood trauma is a result of the alterations to the brain (De Kloet, Joëls, & Holsboer, 2005). Keywords: trauma, social work, substance use

Background

The basis of this research is centered on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study (Felitti et al., 1998). In the ACE study, researchers identified the number of individuals in a selected population that had suffered