Guest Author: Lucie Welch, Services for Education
Childhood is a the most important time in a person’s brain development and wellbeing, shaping their future health, relationships and overall success in life.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) were first introduced by Felitti and Anda in the 1990s. However, it is only relatively recently that Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) have received significant recognition as to their importance in counteracting negative childhood experiences.
What Are Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs)?
Introduced by AJ Naryan et al. as a direct counterpoint to the ACEs framework, BCEs are positive, supportive moments, experiences, and opportunities that help safeguard vulnerable children, particularly those dealing with adversity or living in unsafe environments.
The long-term impact of ACEs has been widely studied and research has shown that such incidents can lead to severe long-term health and behavioural challenges, from creating barriers that make forming relationships difficult, to increasing the risk of mental health problems.
For children experiencing chronic stress or trauma at home, BCEs in schools can offer vital emotional and psychological support. By reducing the impact of, or helping to counteract, ACEs, these positive experiences enhance emotional regulation, support cognitive development, and contribute to healthier long-term outcomes.
How Schools can Introduce BCEs to Safeguard Children
Schools play an incredibly important role in protecting and nurturing children, sitting at the very centre of the safeguarding community. By prioritising safety, emotional support and inclusion, schools can help nurture Benevolent Childhood Experiences (BCEs) that foster positive relationships, build trust and strengthen resilience.
This may include:
- Maintaining a Safe and Nurturing School Environment: When children feel physically and emotionally secure they are able to thrive and reach their full potential. Schools can ensure pupils feel safe by implementing key safeguarding policies that protect students from child-on-child abuse and ensuring that safeguarding concerns are recognised, monitored and responded to effectively.
- Building Positive Relationships & Trust: Strong relationships built upon trust are vital BCEs for at-risk children. Research shows that even one stable, positive relationship with an adult can offset the effects of ACEs. By focusing on supportive, honest and trauma-informed approaches, schools can offer more personalised and valuable support for children.
- Encouraging a Sense of Belonging: Pupils who feel connected to a supportive community are more likely to have positive relationships with their peers and thrive at school. Settings can encourage a welcoming, whole-school culture by promoting inclusivity and diverse communities and offering opportunities for children to ask for help from peer support networks.
In conclusion, for vulnerable children, including those affected by safeguarding concerns or challenging home circumstances, schools can play a vital protective role by weaving BCEs into their everyday culture and practice. By creating an environment that is safe, nurturing and inclusive, schools can help reduce the harmful effects of ACEs and support better outcomes for all pupils.
How Safeguarding Software can Help Foster BCEs
CPOMS StudentSafe provides a single, fully customisable platform for reporting and monitoring safeguarding concerns in addition to wellbeing and pastoral matters for every child in a setting. All records entered into the system are user-access controlled to help maintain privacy and trust, while allowing every member of staff who needs to report an issue regarding child welfare to do so, providing a true whole-school approach.
Contextual safeguarding is key to helping encourage BCEs and minimise the risk and impact of ACEs. With CPOMS Engage, schools, local authorities and alternative provisions can effectively and securely share information as a fully connected safeguarding network. This flow of information enables safeguarding and wellbeing leads to strengthen relationships with children and monitor safeguarding concerns beyond the school gates.
To learn more about how CPOMS software can support your setting encourage benevolent childhood experiences, book a free demo today.
