Question
What are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)?
Answer
CEs are what the CDC calls Adverse Childhood Experiences. They are potentially traumatic events that happen to a child somewhere between zero and 17 years of age. This can be violence, abuse, or neglect. This can be witnessing abuse or receiving abuse at the hands of a parent or a loved one. It could be seeing the death of a loved one or seeing violence in the community. This could be murder, drive-by shootings, burglary, et cetera. We see these events often in our lower socioeconomic neighborhoods. It can also be a family member's attempt or death 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 misuse
- Mental health problems
- Instability due to parental separation or household members being in jail or prison
When you think of trauma and adverse childhood experiences, you think of the big things right away. However, there is more to it. Adverse childhood experiences can be any situation where a child feels unsafe, has not had the ability to bond with caregivers, or have no stability. Foster kids are one example. What is happening in those homes? There can be substance misuse, mental health problems, a parent leaving secondary to divorce, parental separation, or even a household member being in jail or prison.
