FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington will host “A Look at the High Costs of Childhood Abuse and Neglect” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, in the Emery Community Arts Center on the UMF campus.

Katherine Kemp, UMF lecturer in rehabilitation services, will present this second topic in UMF’s popular “The Public Classroom” faculty speaker series.

A serious and prevalent public health problem in the U.S., child abuse and neglect has reached a critical level in Maine, and specifically in Franklin County. Overall, more than 100 children in every 1,000 living in Franklin County experience some form of abuse and/or neglect each year — an estimate of one in every 10 children.

In this talk, Kemp introduces three branches of science that have allowed for the greater exploration of knowledge about the effects of psychological trauma, abuse and neglect. These are neuroscience, the study of how the brain supports mental processes; developmental psychopathology, the study of the impact of adverse experiences on the development of the brain; and interpersonal neurobiology, the study of how our behavior influences the emotions, biology and mind-sets of those around us.

Kemp will also introduce the Adverse Childhood Experiences study, an ongoing collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente, as a tool to analyze and solidify the relationship between childhood trauma and the risk for physical and mental health disabilities in adulthood.

Kemp’s area of expertise is working with individuals with severe and persistent mental health disabilities in the field of case management and counseling. A licensed clinical social worker, she is a teacher and advocate with a strong belief in the strength of community partnerships as a tool to challenge and change this serious public health problem.

“The Public Classroom” series is sponsored by the UMF Office of the President. Lectures in this series are free and open to the public.