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Making Children Feel More Secure

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, there are several experiences for children that can contribute to high stress, sidetrack healthy development and increase the chances of risky behavior.

The list is a long one. It includes having a parent or guardian die, serve time in jail or be divorced/separated; living in a household where there is violence; living in a household that often struggles financially; neighborhood violence; living with someone mentally ill, suicidal, depressed or addicted; and being often mistreated because of race or ethnicity.

According to the foundation, a high percentage of West Virginia children has experienced one or more of those to a degree that could impair their long-term welfare. In fact, 52 percent of Mountain State children are living under such conditions, far higher than the national average of 46 percent.

There are plenty of reasons for that. Parents, relatives, teachers, church and community members … all of us, must do a better job of addressing the problems.

These kids — 52 percent of them dealing with stresses that are sending many of our adults into a crippling spiral of self-harm — will write the next chapters for the Mountain State. As we work toward transitioning our economy, toward recovery and hope in healthier communities, toward better educations, better jobs and brighter opportunities, they must be our focus.

Many of us remember our West Virginia childhoods with great joy. If we do not do all we can to make sure more of these kids can do the same, we will all pay a price.

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