Childhood trauma affects many kids and most adults as well. Kids may not understand the word 'trauma' and how it can affect them; however, the impact of difficult situations often surfaces in different ways. According to the National Children’s Alliance, in 2022 an estimated 558,899 children were victims of abuse and neglect. Even if they are too young to understand the consequences of these actions, childhood trauma can affect these children well into adulthood and sometimes throughout their lives. A new study shows that tough childhood experiences like violence, addiction, and abuse can make it harder for kids to succeed in school. The study found that children who've been through even just one traumatic event are more than twice as likely to miss a lot of school due to health problems. The more bad experiences a child has, the more school they tend to miss.What Are The Risk Factors of Poor Academic Performance for Kids?During this study, researchers looked at information from over 10,000 children aged 6 to 17. They found that about 1 in 4 (24%) of these children had gone through at least one difficult event, including:ViolenceHaving a parent in jailLiving with someone in the household who is mentally ill, addicted to drugs, or an alcoholicVerbal or emotional abuseNot having basic needs like food or housingDiscrimination because of their race or backgroundThe study showed that kids who went through these traumas were 2.4 times more likely to be chronically absent from school. This means they missed at least 10% of school days because of health reasons. And for every extra traumatic event they experienced, their risk of missing school due to health increased by 25%.Specific Traumas Mean Higher Risks of Missing School The study pinpointed which traumatic events had the strongest connection to children missing more school. Being exposed to violence significantly increased the odds, making kids 2.6 times more likely to be chronically absent. Discrimination, such as unfair treatment because of their background, also boosted the risk of missing school by 2.5 times. Furthermore, living with a mentally ill person in the home increased a child's risk of chronic absenteeism by 2.2 times. These specific findings underline the direct impact of certain adversities on a child’s consistent presence in school.The researchers strongly suggest that doctors and teachers should team up to identify children who have gone through trauma. They believe it's crucial to offer these kids support early on, especially if they start missing school often. Researchers emphasized the need for "new ways” so that schools and healthcare systems to work together and provide kids with the best support. The goal is to support these students before they miss too much school, preventing them from falling behind and experiencing even worse health and academic problems down the line. It's about building a safety net for our most vulnerable learners.