Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) by Hope Davis

What are ACEs?

hdavi2 — 2025-07-07 18:25:24 UTC

ACEs, or Adverse Childhood Experiences, are negative and/or traumatic events that happen in a child's life before the age of 18. ACEs can have a lasting impact on a person's physical and mental health in adulthood.

A traumatic event is an experience that causes prolonged stress or toxic stress to a child. Events can include but are not limited to:

Feeling scared/afraid/terrified
Helplessness or loneliness
At risk of danger or are in danger
Physically injured or hurt

Traumatic events can range in severity and can often be triggered by seeing or experiencing the event in the media. Types of traumatic events students have experienced include but are not limited to:

Verbal, physical, sexual or emotional abuse
Domestic violence
Shootings, community violence
Bullying
Car accident
Witnessing injury or death
Loss of a family member/loved one
Divorce or separation

While these events are common in many students, they are not the only events that students could experience that are traumatic. Any experience that causes prolonged or toxic stress is considered a traumatic event.

Prevalence

hdavi2 — 2025-07-07 18:51:48 UTC

ACEs are very common in children and adults. In one study of, 60% to 80% of adults in the United States have reported experiencing one adverse childhood experience in their lifetime. Within that same study 1 out of 6 adults reported experiencing 4 of more ACEs before the age of 18. In schools, approximately 75% of high school students have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience and about 20% report experiencing four more ACEs.

As educators it is important to consider who are students are, what their experiences are, and how they impact our students actions within the classroom.

How are ACEs assessed?

hdavi2 — 2025-07-07 18:57:07 UTC

Adverse Childhood Experiences are assessed in a set of 10 questions about their life experiences. Questions often ask participants to respond "yes" or "no" if they have experienced that event. Events and scenarios presented in these assessments are centered around abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction.

Depending on the assessment, participants are asked their strengths and areas of improvement. Participants are typically asked the frequency of these events and their impact on their lives as adults today.

Below are a few examples of ACEs assessments:

ACEs Aware

NAADAC

Johns Hopkins Medicine

Risk and Protective Factors

hdavi2 — 2025-07-08 18:51:31 UTC

Anyone under the age of 18 is at risk for ACEs, however some population of children are more at risk than others. Children more at risk to experience adverse childhood experiences include children of family members with a substance abuse disorders and mental health conditions, girls, children whose parents experience stress, children experiencing socioeconomic challenges, and children whose race or ethnicity is a minority group.

While ACEs cannot be prevented, children can be protected from adverse childhood experiences. Protective factors include positive friendships, families who create a safe and nurturing environment, families who encourage the importance of school and community, engaging in positive and fun experiences as a family, structure and implementing consistent rules, parents who have college degrees and stable employment, and having basic needs met.

Impact on the Brain

hdavi2 — 2025-07-08 18:55:08 UTC

Children's brains are malleable and plastic, as a result ACEs can have a lasting impact on the brain. When a child experiences toxic stress, the part of the neural pathways of the part of the brain being developed at the age trauma is experienced is altered.

Depending on when students experienced high stress or trauma, the part of the brain that is developing can be impacted. For a child who experienced ACEs inutero and infancy, the functions of the brainstem may be affected. If the ACE is experienced in childhood the Diencephalon and Limbic system may be impacted. As a result, children may shut down easily, have trouble forming relationships, be impulsive, and have difficulty regulating their stress and emotions. ACEs that occur in adolescence may result in students having lower self-esteem, have difficulty making decisions, and struggle to build trust.

The impact of ACEs on the brain can be long lasting. ACEs can result in TBIs, an increase in anxiety, depression, and mental health conditions, risky behavior in adulthood, an increased risk of cancer and diabetes, and impact educational and occupational opportunities in adulthood.

What can we do?

hdavi2 — 2025-07-09 18:13:32 UTC

While ACEs are not preventable, as educators we can help advocate for students experiencing toxic stress. Some ways to protect students from continuing the impact of ACEs include:

Connecting students to a therapist, counselor, or mental health professional
Implementing trauma informed care within the classroom and school setting
Reducing toxic stress through connecting students and families with resources for what they need: access to food, housing, water, family-based services
Building positive and trusting relationships with students and their families
Positive home and school connection and communication
Advocating for students needs within the school environment
Teaching life skills: handling conflict, building coping skills and strategies, joining positive communities such as sports, groups, and activities.