Buffer

This thesis dossier is separated into the following distinct sections. The first is an extended artist statement that attempts to locate the uncertain objects of my practice within a relational field, involving writing around becoming, unaccountability and empathy, among other things. The second is a portfolio of photographic documentation of artworks made during my MFA candidacy, primarily attending to documentation of my concurrent thesis exhibition. The third is a case study exploring the work of artist Erin Shirreff, who works between photography, video and sculpture, among other media, drawing attention to bodily presence and duration through mediated structures.

• More than half of adolescents experiencing any ACEs report more than one.
• The least frequently reported are: • sexual abuse (6%) • and household drug use (5%). While the MSS asks about 8 specific experiences to calculate an ACE score, there are other negative experiences that can contribute to dysfunction and health risks. Chronic stress can result from adversity both in children's communities, as well as in their families. According to the MSS, children in MInnesota also face these adversities:

Number of ACEs Reported
51% of students have been bullied in the past month Students reported being bullied most for their physical appearance (27%), their weight (23%), their gender expression (16.0%), and their race, ethnicity, or national origin (13%) 5% don't feel safe in their neighborhoods 10% don't feel safe at their schools 15% have experienced dating violence (including being verbally or physically abused, or being pressured into sex by a girlfriend or boyfriend). 1% have been in foster care in the past year; 2% were in foster care more than a year ago.
According to the US Census, the poverty rate in Minnesota was 9.6% in 2019. Poverty and its attendant issues (such as hunger and homelessness) also have lasting effects.
19% of students on the MSS report receiving free or reduced-price lunch; 4% had to skip meals because their family didn't have enough money; and 5% experienced homelessness in the past year.

ACEs Can Increase Risk for Behavioral Health Problems
Minnesota, 2019 MSS

Substance Use
Compared to youth who are not exposed to ACEs, those reporting an ACE score of 4+ are...

5.
2 times more likely to report e-cigarette use 8.9 times more likely to report marijuana use 12.6 times more likely to report prescription drug misuse ...in the past month. Of students with 0 ACEs, 6% reported having thoughts of suicide in the past year, compared to 45% of students with 4+ ACEs; students with 4+ ACEs are 7.5 times more likely to report suicidal thoughts.

Adverse Childhood Experiences in Minnesota
Protective Factors Buffer Negative Outcomes Protective factors are characteristics at the biological, psychological, family, community or cultural level that precede and are associated with a lower likelihood of negative outcomes such as substance use and mental health issues. ACEs are correlated with negative outcomes; however, those who have experienced ACEs, but who also have protective factors, are buffered from some negative effects. Protective factors work like adverse experiences, but in reverse; they work to reduce negative behaviors and lessen the effects of ACEs. Below are some protective factors included on the MSS, and the percentage of students experiencing them. How to read this chart Of those students who have experienced 2 or more ACEs, and who DON'T feel that adults in the community care about them, 21% use marijuana. However, of those students who feel adults DO care about them, only 14% use marijuana. This means students with 2+

Prevalence of Protective Factors and Risk Buffering for Two Negative Outcomes, 2019 MSS
ACEs who feel adults in the community care about them are 1.5 times LESS LIKELY to use marijuana. In Minnesota, 39% of students feel adults in the community care about them.

Resources
No matter how many ACEs students experience, they still benefit from from protective factors; students are less likely to use e-cigarettes or experience depression when they believe school and community adults care about them, whether they've experienced 4+ ACEs, or none. But the effect is especially large when it comes to students who have experienced multiple ACEs. For example, of students with 0 ACEs, 12% of those who feel teachers don't care about them use ecigarettes; use drops to 7% when students feel teachers DO care about them. Among students with 4 or more ACEs, use drops from 49% to 36% when they feel teachers care about them.