Examining the association of the subjective experience of poverty, adverse and positive childhood experiences in the adult population of Slovenia

• Published in: European journal of social work 2023-03, Vol.26 (2), p.230-244
• Main Authors: Mešl, Nina, Rihter, Liljana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ACE study; Adequacy; Adverse; Childhood experiences; Childhood factors; material position; Occupational roles; odpornost; Poverty; Resilience; revščina; Social work; socialno delo; socialno-ekonomski položaj; Trauma; Študija OIO
• ISSN: 1369-1457; 1468-2664
• DOI: 10.1080/13691457.2021.1995703

The findings on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and outcomes in adulthood cover a wide subject area. In order to understand the results of ACE studies and plan adequate measures, the role of social work should not be disregarded. This paper studies the topic of ACEs, positive childhood experiences and the association with the subjective experience of poverty, which has rarely been addressed, but is relevant to social work. The research was based on simple and extended ACE questionnaires and was conducted amongst the adult population of Slovenia (n = 4939). The results found that adverse material position is associated with a higher amount of adverse and a lower amount of positive childhood experiences (on average, people with adverse material position have 3.43 ACEs and 7.77 positive experiences, while those with better material position have only 1.75 ACEs and 9.82 positive experiences). Social work needs to provide measures on a systemic level to improve the material position of families and to develop programmes based on the poverty aware paradigm to support partnership and interparental relationships in order to decrease the incidence of ACE. In addition, people need adequate support (e.g. trauma-informed care) when recovering from ACE and to enhance their resilience.