Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that affect children before the age of 18. A high incident of ACEs (more than 4) makes children significantly more likely to have poor mental and physical health.
Examples of ACEs in childhood include:
- physical abuse
- sexual abuse
- emotional abuse
- abandonment or neglect
- parental mental illness
- growing up in a household with substance abuse or alcoholism
- parental imprisonment
- witnessing domestic violence and abuse
- losing a parent to separation, divorce or death
- bullying
- natural disasters
- experiencing war / terrorism / community violence
- homelessness
- food insecurity
- racism, sexism or any other form of discrimination
You can read more about ACEs on the Young Minds: Addressing childhood adversity and trauma infographic (PDF).