CRANE RESEARCH FORUM RECAP – Harnessing the Power of Hope and Belonging to Buffer the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences
February 2025
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood and have long-term impacts on a variety of our future health and educational outcomes, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Every day we interact with adults who are struggling with the long-term consequences of childhood trauma, and most of us have also experienced at least one ACE ourselves. However, there is good news. We can address systems that create trauma, and we can invest in protective factors, such as hope and belonging, that help buffer against the impact of ACEs.
In this session, Dr. Brett Zyromski, associate professor and program chair of the Counselor Education Program at The Ohio State University, explored the impacts of ACEs on both children and those working or living with children. Attendees heard practical strategies for building hope and belonging to help children and adults survive and thrive through the potentially traumatic events of childhood.
Dr. Zyromski is an expert on enhancing protective factors like connectedness to support children who have experienced ACEs, while at the same time deconstructing the systems that create the need for such interventions. His research also examines the effectiveness of socially-just and evidence-based practices for school counselors in both their interventions and in their education and evaluation. Dr. Zyromski has presented before international audiences and has authored numerous articles and book chapters.
Dr. Zyromski has also made the PowerPoint version of his slides available for anyone interested in using the slides in their work. Please simply credit the source when repurposing materials. Access the slide deck here: https://bit.ly/CRANE-BZ.
RESOURCES
Resources shared by Dr. Zyromski
- Crowdsourced wisdom: Here is a PDF of the results of the surveys taken during the event in which attendees weighed in ideas on hope and belonging.
- Hope Scales: Here is a PDF with the hope scale slides. The presentation was also updated to include them within the full slide deck (button above). Additionally, you can download the Children’s Hope Scale here and the Adult Hope Scale here.
- Book: HOPE Rising – How the Science of HOPE Can Change Your Life
- 3 Realms of ACEs graphic
- Education in a Pandemic: The Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 on America’s Students (US Dept. of Ed. Office for Civil Rights)
- YouthTruth Student Surveys
- Childhood Adversity Narratives (CANarratives.org)
Resources shared by other event attendees
- Book: Creating Productive Cultures in Schools
- Website: The Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE)
- App and website: InsideU (based on Disney and Pixar’s InsideOut characters)
- Book chapter on felt safety from Dr. Karyn Purvis: Disarming the Fear Response with Felt Safety