Table 2 Adverse childhood experiences categories and examples from Latina mothers

Original Adverse Childhood Experiences: Harm

PHYSICAL: Child experienced or was threatened by physical abuse (pushing, grabbing, slapping, throwing objects at) from a caregiver or fear of physical abuse

[PHYSICAL] … I have raised my hand to my kids, but I’m not someone who spanks them for every little thing. No, only if they do something that really gets to me

SEXUAL: Child experienced sexual abuse

No examples of sexual abuse

EMOTIONAL: Caregiver insulted, humiliated or put child down

[EMOTIONAL] What do I admire about my son? Well, his serenity, because he is always calm even when he’s reprimanded. Because he's not perfect, you know. So even when my husband needs to reprehend him he remains mellow. He just listens quietly, he doesn’t try to talk back, because you know how some kids will be argumentative. And I do tell him to defend himself if his father is scolding him for something he didn’t do, but he’ll reply, “Well, I don’t know. He may get just angrier.”

Original Adverse Childhood Experiences: Neglect

EMOTIONAL: Child felt unsupported, unloved or unprotected

PHYSICAL: child lacked appropriate care by a caregiver

No specific examples of emotional or physical neglect

[NEGLECT]: For me, it’s difficult. When you work in the fields, it’s hard because you have to take care of your kids. And that’s why it’s hard to get them up early, take them to child care and pick them up in the afternoon. So, sometimes you do neglect them a little bit, because of that

Interviewer: Can you tell me more about what you mean when you say “neglect”?

Mother: Because you can’t take them to school or pick them up, and that’s when sometimes you feel like you’re not paying enough attention to them. That’s where I feel like I sometimes kind of neglect her

Original Adverse Childhood Experiences: Household dysfunction

INCARCERATION: Child lived with a Caregiver who went to Jail

[INCARCERATION] His dad went to jail and it was difficult for me to support 4 kids…

MENTAL HEALTH: Child lived with caregiver with mental health issues

[MENTAL HEALTH] We talk little about [emotional health] because I don’t feel he suffers much from that. But I say, I also don’t want to talk much about it because my husband suffers from stress issues and anxiety…. So I do address it, how are they doing, etc. but not that much

SUBSTANCE USE: Child’s caregiver with or ever had problem with too much alcohol, street drugs or prescription medications use

[SUBSTANCE] Right now, his dad is in rehab. He was using drugs. He’s not in touch with them…It has affected them because of our financial situation. Sometimes they see that I’m more stressed sometimes, like when I had a lot of bills to pay

INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: Child has seen or heard caregiver being screamed at, sworn at, insulted, humiliated, slapped, kicked, punched, beaten up or hurt with a weapon by another adult

[INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE]…Sometimes his dad uses hurtful words with me, and [my kids] don’t like that. It hurts them. And they tell their dad: “Please don’t say that to mom.” And my husband, I believe perhaps he didn’t receive the attention he needed. And he doesn’t do bad things, but he says things that are not right

RELATIONSHIP: Child’s caregivers ever had a change in relationship status (separated, divorced)

[RELATIONSHIP] Interviewer: What is her greatest challenge?

Mother: Well, her dad leaving us. I feel this really affected her, because she was already 9 years old. So she was the one who was most aware of what was going on and she felt, well, I didn’t comment about it until she turned 15. No…when she turned 14 and then she asked me what happened. "Well, he left and I didn’t say a word. But I was very sad."

Expanded Adverse Childhood Experiences

COMMUNITY VIOLENCE: Child seen, heard, victim of violence in neighborhood, community, or school?

[COMMUNITY VIOLENCE] What can I tell you? The thing is, right now there's a lot of.danger in the streets… Because we’re always hearing that there are shoot-outs somewhere. Sometimes I drop my other child off at school and we see patrol cars circling the streets, houses, and all that

DISCRIMINATION: child experienced discrimination?

[BULLYING/DISCRIMINATION]… There was bullying problem, that was when [my daughter] regressed a lot [se me hizo bien chiquita]. Her self-esteem went down a lot, and it was a little difficult to cheer her up, and all that. But I know she can do it. She can do it

HOUSING: child every had problems with housing?

[HOUSING INSECURITY] I researched apartments and I applied for a lot of them, but … we weren’t accepted because of our credit history… so I thought, if we don’t find anything else, we’ll either go to the homeless shelter or we’ll live in our car until we can find a place that’s appropriate for my daughters. Because I was thinking about their school, and sometimes I have to leave them at home by themselves, so I want them to be somewhere safe. And someplace where they won’t be exposed to abuse, somewhere I can feel comfortable leaving them

FOOD: Child did not have enough food to eat or food ran out before could buy more?

[FOOD INSECURITY]: "Kids, we’re going to go to the store, but there isn't enough money."

SEPARATION: child separated from caregiver due to foster/immigration?

[SEPARATION] When I came here, I was alone at first. I came here alone at 19, and I left my small children behind. I came here seeking a better life, like many people. I came here to work, and I was alone for six years, working… but since things were so complicated in Mexico, I thought, “If I could make it on my own there, I don’t see why I couldn’t make it there with my kids.” So, I thought that if I came back here I would bring them with me

DISABILITY: child lived with caregiver with serious physical illness or disability?

[DISABILITY] …She didn’t want to face her dad. She said that he wasn’t her dad anymore, that she wanted a dad who would take her to school, who would spend time with her. But since her dad could no longer do those things, she said he wasn’t her dad anymore, that she wanted a different dad, a good dad, because she didn’t want to have a bad dad anymore. And I would tell her, “It may be good or bad, but he can’t take you to school or pick you up anymore because he’s sick.” But sometimes my husband would say, “Take me in the wheelchair.” So, I would take him with the wheelchair, and she was so happy when she saw him. She would say, “You made it! Tell mom to push you so you can come."

DEATH: child lived with caregiver who died?

[DEATH] Interviewer: What do you think are your daughters greatest challenges/difficulties she faces?

Mother: The loss of her father. That was what’s affected her the most. Very much so. Because when my husband died, he was murdered; so he wasn’t sick, he was alright. So then this happens all of the sudden…and that’s something very sad for an 11-year-old kid… Emotionally speaking this is something that affects them very much