As the school year begins, families are adjusting to new routines, expectations, and challenges. While backpacks, supplies, and schedules are top of mind, it’s just as important to prepare emotionally and relationally. Violence and abuse don’t follow a calendar. They affect students, parents, and caregivers year-round.
ACEs include things like abuse, neglect, or witnessing violence, having an unstable home-life or living in an unsafe community. ACEs are not often caused by a single thing. It's usually a combination of factors at the individual, relationship, community, and society level.
ACEs can have intergenerational effects. If your parents had ACEs, then it's likely you would also have some. Understanding this pattern means that families and communities can break the cycle. A lot of things that contribute to ACEs are out of your control—like community violence, discrimination, or a tough economy. However, there are protective factors that can lower your child's risk or buffer the negative effects of ACEs. Many people build resilience and thrive despite adversity due to Positive Childhood Experiences or PCEs.
One of the most powerful protective factors for children is something simple but profound: a strong, open relationship with an adult that cares.
Research shows that when parents and caregivers maintain honest, consistent conversations with their children, starting early and continuing through adolescence, it can significantly reduce the risk of child sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, harmful substance use, and other risky behaviors. These conversations don’t have to be perfect. What matters most is showing up, listening, and creating a safe space for kids to share what’s on their minds.
To support families during this transition into the school year, we’ve gathered a bunch of resources filled with tools, tips, and expert guidance for both caregivers and students. Whether you're looking to strengthen communication, support mental health, or build resilience, these resources are here to help.
A page describing ACEs and providing statistics
How caregivers and community members can prevent ACEs
The different factors that lead to and lead away from ACEs
An upcoming free webinar on having good conversations with your kids. Eran Magen, PhD, parent-child communication expert, offers a timely Parent Forum on "How to Be Your Child's Favorite Conversation Partner." Join other parents and caregivers experiencing the same challenges, in an open, honest virtual discussion.
Article on strengthening your relationship with your child through verbal and nonverbal communication. It recommends active listening, reflective listening, speaking clearly, avoiding bribes, explaining feelings, using 'noticing' statements, having fun together, focusing on behavior, and leading by example.
Article on fostering meaningful connections with your kid by being a good role model, create space for safe conversations, paying attention to your body language, and practicing "power with, not power over".
Article with actionable tips. Helps you to prep for the conversation, offers some things to say to get the conversation started, things to say to keep the conversation going, and challenges you might face.
The Everyday Magic brochure series is for anyone who want to strengthen their connection with their children and help them thrive, even (and especially) when their family has experienced violence. Each brochure shares 7 powerful actions to support children in a specific age group and help them feel comforted and loved. There is one set of actions for each of five age groups: 0-2, 3-5, 6-9, 10-12, and 13-18.
Strategies to support your child at home and to be a mental health role model. Tips for recognizing warning signs and conversation starters for better communication. Help with navigating school supports like IEPs, 504 plans and more.
A series of free, evidence-based video and print resources that caregivers and educators can use to teach their kids critical mental health and coping skills.
Useful insights and tools to boost your child's mental health throughout the school year. Includes warning signs for bullying and suicide, resources to help plan for crisis, a guide for working caregivers, and more.
Mental health info and more resources that promote mental health and preventing substance use
Learn more about Screen4Success, a user-friendly screening tool that can help you decide if your child needs more support. It provides a better understanding of personal health, wellness, and well-being and helps you find resources to address concerns.
When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time.
Useful insights to boost your mental health throughout the year. Includes guides on setting boundaries, planners for managing commitments and time, tips for social media, and how to help a friend.
Strategies for going back to school, managing overwhelming feelings, dealing with tough situations like difficulties fitting in or trouble at home, mental health warning signs, and tips on when and how to ask for help.
Resiliency is the ability to recover from hard times. Luckily resiliency skills can be learned and this article lists 10 ways you can build your resiliency.
Call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Visit thetrevorproject.org to get mental health resources and crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth
Call 1-800-588-1828 if you or someone you know is struggling with addiction in Sullivan County.
Call our hotline 570-946-4215 for free and confidential services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and all other crimes 24/7.
If your safety is in immediate danger call 911.