To understand how adversity shapes development we need to start with a framework: a structure that turns a concept into something we can test and study in research. Current adversity frameworks focus primarily on caregivers and experiences in the family home. These are typically separated into abuse (e.g., psychological abuse by a parent or adult in the household) and household dysfunction (e.g., substance abuse in the household).
Our research has shown that adolescents report high rates of adversities that more often occur outside of the home. We analysed data from two UK-based cohorts including over 15,000 adolescents. Around 17-22 per cent of participants reported experiencing several social adversities, including peer relationship problems and school issues. We have also found in another study that emotional abuse experienced outside of the home was associated with later mental health issues.
We have proposed the Adolescent Adverse Experiences (AAEs) framework to characterise adversities in adolescence and how they might shape development. The framework considers each level of the environment that might interact and influence human development, based on the ecological systems theory of development. In other words, we recognise that we are embedded within our communities and within society, which brings challenges at multiple levels.
Our AAEs framework captures adverse experiences at each level: experiences reflecting personal factors like the consequences of risk taking (intrapersonal), experiences arising from relationships like bullying (interpersonal), experiences in the community like neighbourhood safety (community), and structural issues like discrimination and social inequalities (societal).