It takes a stronger man to protect children

I want to talk about domestic violence and kids and the impact domestic violence has on a child’s emotional, behavioral and physical health as he or she grows into adulthood. Many of you are already aware of the association between a child being exposed to abuse and the increased likelihood that child will either be a perpetrator or victim of abuse as an adult.

But we are learning that exposure to abuse, violence and home dysfunction increases the possibility that child will have mental health problems — particularly depression, substance abuse disorders (both alcohol and drugs), will be more inclined to smoke and are more likely to have lung problems, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

The “Adverse Childhood Experiences” (ACE) study conducted in the mid- to late 1990s in Southern California by Drs. Felitti and Anda under the auspices of Kaiser Permanente and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a strong relationship between abuse (physical, emotional and sexual), exposure to domestic violence and other risk factors like mental illness, substance disorders and criminal behavior and the kinds of emotional, behavioral and, yes, even physical problems listed above.

ACEs affect multiple generations of people in Alaska and in the Mat-Su Borough. In all likelihood, ACEs may begin to explain why we have such high rates of abuse, assault, mental health and alcohol and drug problems — as well as chronic disease. With this increasingly obvious connection between these adverse experiences for kids and the multitude of problems we’ve mentioned, it’s essential that we intervene when we can and stop the cycle of violence now.

This is why I think the Valley Men Choose Respect initiative is so important. Not only do we have an obligation to our community to provide the kinds of services and support adults need to be better problem solvers — so we don’t have to resort to violence — but it is imperative that we stop the violence for the sake of our kids and young people. If we do nothing we will continue to be a state and community with poor health and unacceptably high rates in all the things where we don’t want to be leading the nation.

Please join me in supporting the work of my colleagues, friends and neighbors who Choose Respect — if not for ourselves then our kids.

Bill Hogan is dean of the University of Alaska Anchorage College of Health and former commissioner for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.