adversities

Therefore, some of the adversities listed are only applicable to females.

It even seeps its way into the policies that govern child welfare, which assume that individual adults’ bad choices are at fault for the adversities children face, overlooking the societal ills—namely poverty—that are in fact at the heart of most maltreatment cases, and that demand systemic solutions.

A study conducted at the University of Turku in Finland shows that investment by maternal grandmothers can improve the well-being of grandchildren who have faced adversities in life.

"The results show that support given by maternal grandmothers can improve the well-being of children who have experienced adversities in life. The positive effects could be expected to last into adulthood," says Senior Researcher Samuli Helle from the University of Turku.

"The effects of adversities during the sensitive periods of development in childhood can last long into adulthood. They can manifest in adulthood, for example, in a higher risk of premature death and a lower likelihood of having children," says Helle.