Psychology
Childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
Abuse, neglect and a chaotic home raise the odds of illness in adulthood — but an ACE score is not a sentence, and safe relationships change the outcome.
27 Sept 20268 min read
Adverse childhood experiences
Also known as ACEs, ACE score, Childhood adversity
Potentially traumatic events in the first 18 years of life, such as abuse, neglect or violence at home. They raise the risk of later health problems, but they do not decide a child's future.
In Psychology
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic things that happen before the age of 18: physical, emotional or sexual abuse; neglect; witnessing violence at home or in the community; and growing up with a parent who has a serious mental illness or substance problem, who is in prison, or through family breakdown. The term comes from the CDC–Kaiser Permanente ACE study in the United States.
Across large populations, the more ACEs people report, the higher their later rates of depression, substance misuse and long-term physical illness. Prolonged, "toxic" stress in childhood is thought to affect the developing brain and stress-response systems.
The ACE score, a simple count, is a research tool. Its own creators warn against using it to predict or diagnose an individual: it ignores severity, timing and protection, and many people with high scores do well. Safe, stable, nurturing relationships — even with one adult — protect children and help adults recover. Read more on childhood trauma.
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Related terms
- TraumaPsychological trauma, Emotional traumaAn event or series of events frightening or harmful enough to overwhelm a person's ability to cope, and the lasting effects it can leave. Most people exposed to trauma recover.
- ResilienceResilient, Psychological resilienceThe ability to adapt and recover after hardship, loss or stress. It is not a fixed trait you either have or lack; it grows from relationships, habits and support.
- AttachmentAttachment theory, Attachment styleThe emotional bond a child forms with the people who care for them, and the patterns of closeness and trust it shapes later in life. Attachment styles are research ideas, not diagnoses.
- Complex PTSDC-PTSD, CPTSDA form of PTSD that follows long-lasting or repeated trauma that was hard to escape, such as childhood abuse or ongoing domestic violence. It adds lasting problems with emotions, self-worth and relationships.