Residents of Wrangell were invited to attend a viewing of “Paper Tigers” at the high school last Tuesday. BRAVE, a local organization advocating for building healthy relationships in the community, put the event together. BRAVE member Kay Larson addressed the audience before beginning the film. She said that the documentary was meant to help form a “continuing conversation” on how the Wrangell community could help their children succeed.
“First of all I just want to say, Walla Walla, Washington is the school that we’re going to be visiting. We don’t want to compare ourselves to Walla Walla, there are many ways that we’re similar and many ways that we’re different,” Larsen said. “But the main idea is to become aware of what are Adverse Childhood Experiences and how does that affect our life, our families, our community.”
“Paper Tigers” follows a year in the life of several high school students in east Washington. Many students at the alternative high school they attend have a long history of behavioral problems and substance abuse. After the principal of the high school learns about the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on still-developing brains, he changes the school’s approach to discipline. The film shows the students finding support and help from teachers and staff at the school.
After the film, Larson invited the public to look at various flyers going into more detail on ACEs, as well as to look at information for various local and regional organizations designed to help people deal with trauma. According to the CDC, both positive and negative childhood experiences have a major impact on brain development. ACEs in a child’s life can lead to higher levels of risky behavior, chronic health conditions, low life potential, and early death. Larson encouraged the audience to leave comments on the film, and to talk with one another on how they can work together to build strong relationships with Wrangell’s students and to help them avoid as many ACEs as possible.
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