Journal of Student Research 2018

14 Journal Student Research questions about the participant’s adverse childhood experiences.

Participants

The sample chosen for this study was purposeful. Participants were those in the Social Work Professional Certificate (SWPC) program who scored a four or more on the ACE questionnaire. Individuals self-reported the number of childhood traumas they were exposed to. The researcher chose this population because they are at a much higher risk for long-term negative health outcomes compared to those with a lower ACE score (Felitti et al., 1998). An additional qualifier for participation was that one of the four traumas experienced was parental substance use. This qualifier was added because the original ACE study determined it was the most prevalent of the traumas experienced by participants (Felitti et al., 1998). Participation in this research was presented as an opportunity to undergraduate SWPC students at University of Wisconsin-Stout. The researcher used the original questionnaire from the 1998 ACE study to recruit participants for interviews (Felitti et al., 1998). A list of guiding questions was constructed based on the questions from the ACE questionnaire. At the conclusion of the interview, participants were given a flyer with mental health resources in case they needed professional guidance after the interviews. The researcher used a cell phone to record the interviews, and then downloaded the interviews to a laptop computer. The cell phone and laptop were both password-protected, and only the researcher knew the password. The researcher met with each participant in a private office to provide a comfortable and secluded space. The researcher began by going over the consent form with each participant, pointing out that the study would be confidential. The researcher assured the participants that their names would be changed following the interview. Each participant’s right to withdraw was also emphasized. Due to the personal nature of the questions, participants were encouraged to take a break at any time they felt necessary, and/or to skip any questions they were uncomfortable answering. The researcher followed up with each participant within a day or two following their interview to ensure no harm was done in the process of the interviews. Materials Informed Consent