Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
ACEs is the acronym for Adverse Childhood Experiences: a widespread and underreported trauma in early childhood:
Some examples are (but not limited to):
*experiencing or witnessing neglect, violence, or abuse (physical, verbal, emotional or sexual)
*environmental instability due to substance abuse, mental health problems or family members in jail or prison
34.8 million
children (0-17)
have experienced adverse childhood experiences: that's almost HALF of all American Children!
6 or more
ACEs in a child's life can lower their life expectancy by nearly
20 YEARS!
Consequences of ACEs
While many people feel that "children are resilient", their resiliency is no match to childhood trauma. Study after study has shown the more ACEs a child experiences, the greater the chance of poor outcomes later in life. These include dramatically increased risk of heart disease, obesity, depression, smoking/vaping, substance abuse, poor academics, increased time out of work and even early death.
"Toxic Stress", a term founded by The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, describes the over-activation of the stress response system and the effects it has on a child's body: triggering the immune system, metabolic regulatory systems, and cardiovascular system all into hyper-drive. These responses even show changes in a child's developing brain.
What can we do?
According to the CDC, 1"there are several strategies that can prevent ACEs from happening in the first place as well as strategies to mitigate the harms of ACEs. The evidence tells us that ACEs can be prevented by:
• Strengthening economic supports for families
• Promoting social norms that protect against violence and adversity
• Ensuring a strong start for children and paving the way for them to reach their full potential
• Teaching skills to help parents and youth handle stress, manage emotions, and tackle everyday challenges.
• Connecting youth to caring adults and activities
• Intervening to lessen immediate and long-term harms"
1-an excerpt taken directly from the CDC website regarding ACEs https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/fastfact.html
*info from this page taken from National Institute of Children's Health Equality : www.nichq.org and Center of the Developing Child from Harvard University: www.developingchild.edu