Ex-FBI agent meets community members at Carter County Library, talks childhood trauma

When people think trauma, typically mental images focus on adults or the testimonies on Facebook, but just as much trauma takes place at much younger ages, even in the child’s own home, and learning how to address these issues early on can stem a world of issues when they grow older.

Former Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Christopher Freeze visited the Elizabethton/Carter County Library Tuesday afternoon to talk about his experiences with the Adverse Childhood Experiences system during his time with the FBI and how it impacted the way he interacted and responded to communities.

He related trauma to encountering a grizzly bear in the woods.

“You are terrified, you run home and you are safe,” Freeze said. “You are safe. But what if that bear came home every night?”

He said many officers who served neighborhoods with higher crime rates do not even want to live in those cities themselves, using Memphis and Jackson as an example.

“They want to go home, where the school system is better and the crime is less,” he said.

According to the Center for Disease Control’s website, ACEs include a variety of experiences, including injury, mental health, disease but especially different forms of abuse.

He said these adverse experiences all relate to the concept of trauma, the “bear” children have to come home to every day.

“We say kids are resilient, they will get back up,” he said. “Kids are like a lump of clay. What happens when you press down on a lump of clay?”

Freeze told a story of how he met with ten young boys at a school several years ago. Some of the windows were broken and the school overall looked worse for wear. When he talked with them, he found these kids lacked a solid foundation to succeed.

One student said they had been in detention longer than he had been in school, and it was not even Christmas, while another said it had been a really long time since he had seen his father.

“It is hard for me to see their world,” Freeze said.

Freeze also pointed to people’s perceptions of childhood trauma, and how separating the different kinds of trauma forces people to prioritize certain kinds of trauma over others, weakening their efforts overall.

He said this kind of trauma leads to crime people can easily predict in communities.

“Everyone knows which communities where the crimes happen,” Freeze said. “You hear them on the news, and they occur on the same blocks.”

This is part of the motivation for the ACEs study. The CDC’s website links childhood trauma with more problems in their adult life, therefore requiring a broader approach to the problem.

“If we all talk about it separately, we miss the larger scale,” Freeze said.

More information about ACEs can be found at cdc.gov.

SportsPlus

Local news

TN General Assembly passes two child care bills to help TDHS expand access to child care

Local news

Authorities warn local businesses of counterfeit money scam

Local news

Elizabethton woman arrested in prostitution investigation

Local news

Ways to explore your creative side at ETSU

Local news

Hampton High to hold Annual Senior Class Yard Sale and Breakfast Fundraiser

Local news

ETSU Health Hancock County clinic celebrates expansion, renovation

Local news

A Life Lived: Bobby Townsend’s smile was his trademark

Local news

Emmanuel, Langston Centre welcome storyteller Sheila Arnold

Local news

Happy Valley High student to compete in Quiz Bowl national tournament

Local news

Two Elizabethton police officers complete certified crash reconstructionist training

Local news

Research explores impact of artificial intelligence on instructional design

Local news

Tennessee gas prices rise 10 cents; state average hits $2.80

Local news

ETSU hosting variety of events for the community in April

Local news

Emmanuel’s Edwin K. Hayden Lectureship focuses on Paul’s letter to the Romans

Community

Elizabethton Senior Center weekly activities schedule

Local news

ETSU experts forecast warm Appalachian spring

Local news

Free Bluegrass Jamboree set for June 14 at Covered Bridge Park

Local news

SBA disaster recovery assistance extended for Hurricane Helene victims

Local news

Women make up 36.9 percent of farmers in Carter County

Local news

Happy Valley Elementary releases third nine weeks honor roll

Local news

The 200th Peters Hollow Egg Fight: A cracking good time in the Hollow

Local news

‘Rockin’ on the Doe’ to feature Chicago Rewired Aug. 16 in downtown Elizabethton

Church News

Joyful Hearts Trio will sing Sunday

Local news

Gene Watson to bring his timeless hits to NPAC