1. Experiences of family violence can result in significant mental health issues across the life span 2. The most likely person to hurt a child is a family member 3. 44% of children in foster care graduate from high school, compared to 81% of others 4. 48% of all children in foster care are Aboriginal, yet they represent only 4% of the population 5. Aboriginal youth face twice the risk for violent victimization compared to others 6. In some areas, only about 45% of Aboriginal youth will complete high school

 Physical and emotional maltreatment, sexual abuse, neglect, negligent treatment, child exploitation (WHO)  Exposure to intimate partner violence  Link with mental health: ‘experienced children” are at greater risk for anxiety, eating difficulties, substance use disorders, depression, suicidal thoughts and behaviours; the risk increases with experience of multiple types of maltreatment  Each year:  4-16% of children experience physical abuse  10% are neglected or emotionally abused  20% of females and 5-10% males are sexually abused as children

Injury Affect regulation Attachment Growth Developmental delay Anxiety disorders including PTSD Mood disorders Disruptive behaviour disorders (e.g. ADHD) Academic failure Poor peer relations Conduct disorder Alcohol abuse Drug abuse Other risk-taking behaviours Recurrent victimization Personality disorders Relationship problems Maltreatment of one’s own offspring Chronic disease including heart disease, cancer Adolescence AdulthoodChildhoodInfancy

 Difficulty in:  Relationships  Taken-for-granted experiences  Emotion regulation  Concentration and attention  Health  Planning: meta skills, stablility  Social/peer groups  risk  Risky behaviours  Low academic achievement

 Create stable and trusting relationships  Help with organizational and study strategies to compensate for attention and concentration problems  Break tasks down  Plan for small successes  Role models and images  Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey,  Allow students to keep learning materials in the classroom  Help the identify images of success: e.g. Maya Angleou

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom. (Maya Angelou, I know Why the Caged Bird Sings)