What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences?

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Emotional neglect shapes identity and drives the search for belonging in risky environments.

Chronic stress in childhood affects emotional regulation and decision-making over time.

Early hardship does not determine the future; different outcomes remain possible.

I was recently invited to speak at an online conference on dangerous minds, violence, and the growing sense of chaos across the islands of San Andrés, Old Providence, and Santa Catalina in Colombia. The conversation opened a space that felt honest and necessary, and at the end, I encouraged those listening to write and share how violence had shaped their lives.

In the days that followed, many messages began to arrive. Each one carried a story, sometimes brief, sometimes heavy, yet all of them revealed how deeply these experiences continue to affect the archipelago. As I read through them, one message stood out to me more than the others, not because it was louder, but because it revealed something that often remains hidden behind what people later call dangerous behavior.

The message came from a young man I will call Victor, 18 years old, who chose to write not only to tell his story but to make sure others could see that a different path is still possible.

A Childhood Without Rest

The memories he shared carry the weight of years that moved without pause. Many mornings began without breakfast, and school became a place he entered already carrying hunger in silence. Returning home did not always bring relief, since there were days when........

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