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Children at Risk
Childhood Trauma & ACEs
Childhood Trauma is often described as serious Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines ACEs as all types of abuse, neglect, and other potentially traumatic experiences that occur to people under the age of 18. Examples of ACEs include exposure to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect; and witnessing violence, serious mental illness, or substance misuse in the home. ACEs have profound psychological, physiological, and sociological impacts and can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being.
The Basics of ACES
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Are they common?
Yes. ACEs are common.
About 64% of U.S. adults reported they had experienced at least one type of ACE before age 18, and nearly 1 in 6 (17.3%) reported they had experienced four or more types of ACEs.
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Are they serious?
Yes. Preventing ACEs could potentially reduce many health conditions.
For example, by preventing ACEs, up to 1.9 million heart disease cases and 21 million depression cases potentially could have been avoided.
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Who is at risk?
Some people are at greater risk of experiencing one or more ACEs than others.
While all children are at risk of ACEs, numerous studies have shown inequities in such experiences are linked to the historical, social, and economic environments in which some families live. ACEs were highest among females, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native adults, and adults who are unemployed or unable to work.
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Are they detrimental?
Yes. ACEs are costly.
ACEs-related health consequences cost an estimated economic burden of $748 billion annually in Bermuda, Canada, and the United States.
Yes. ACEs are common.
About 64% of U.S. adults reported they had experienced at least one type of ACE before age 18, and nearly 1 in 6 (17.3%) reported they had experienced four or more types of ACEs.
Yes. Preventing ACEs could potentially reduce many health conditions.
For example, by preventing ACEs, up to 1.9 million heart disease cases and 21 million depression cases potentially could have been avoided.
Some people are at greater risk of experiencing one or more ACEs than others.
While all children are at risk of ACEs, numerous studies have shown inequities in such experiences are linked to the historical, social, and economic environments in which some families live. ACEs were highest among females, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native adults, and adults who are unemployed or unable to work.
Yes. ACEs are costly.
ACEs-related health consequences cost an estimated economic burden of $748 billion annually in Bermuda, Canada, and the United States.
EXAMPLES
- Experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect
- Witnessing violence in the home or community
- Having a family member attempt or die by suicide
Also included are aspects of the child’s environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and bonding, such as growing up in a household with:
- Substance use problems
- Mental health problems
- Instability due to parental separation or household members being in jail or prison
Please note the examples above are not a complete list of adverse experiences. Many other traumatic experiences could impact health and well-being.
ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance use problems in adolescence and adulthood. ACEs can also negatively impact education, job opportunities, and earning potential. However, ACEs can be prevented.
HOW CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AFFECTS HEALTH ACROSS A LIFETIME
Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect, and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on brain development. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease and lung cancer. An impassioned plea for pediatric medicine to confront the prevention and treatment of trauma, head-on.
Can children heal from childhood trauma?
Children can heal from the effects of trauma and toxic stress if they develop healthy relationships with caring, reliable, safe, compassionate adults who guide them through the healing process. This includes helping children build resilience (the ability to respond to the challenges of life) and empathy (the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.) Resilience and empathy are developed over time by providing the child with opportunities to build mastery and develop effective strategies for managing stressors and adversity.
What is trauma-informed care?
Trauma-informed care shifts the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach that assumes that an individual is more likely than not to have a history of trauma. Trauma-informed care recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role trauma may play in an individual’s life.
Trauma-informed care emphasizes respecting and appropriately responding to the effects of trauma at all levels.
The intention of trauma-informed care is not to treat symptoms or issues related to sexual, physical, or emotional abuse or any other form of trauma but rather to provide support services in a way that is accessible and appropriate to those who may have experienced trauma. When a trauma-informed approach is not used, the possibility for triggering or exacerbating trauma symptoms and re-traumatizing individuals increases.