Understanding ACEs
How a child develops is the foundation for a prosperous community
Starting even before birth, a child’s brain is constructed through an ongoing process that continues into adulthood. But many children experience stress early on that can become toxic without adult support. Over time, this level of stress can impact behaviors and lead to poor health, learning, and social outcomes.
What are ACEs?
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that can dramatically upset a child’s sense of safety and well-being.
While ACEs can affect future well-being, they don’t have to. Emerging research shows that positive childhood experiences stemming from caring relationships and connections in the community reduce the impact ACEs can have. Using intentional strategies, we can build environments that foster healthy development, as well as create system change that leads to an equitable community.
How ACEs Impact Iowans
What Contributes to ACEs?
The ACEs pyramid, developed by the CDC, helps explain how ACEs are strongly related to developing risk factors for disease and disability throughout a lifespan. The pyramid also explains how historical trauma and current social conditions play a significant role in whether a child experiences trauma.
Early research around ACEs focused on adversity within a family. External factors, such as systemic racism, community violence, and natural disasters can also cause trauma and contribute to ACEs. Addressing these social conditions is a key piece of prevention.
The experiences of our ancestors can also contribute to our well-being. Early experiences of adversity not only impact individuals’ lives, but they also impact future generations. Our experiences may be woven into our children’s and even our grandchildren’s genetic code.
National ACEs Study
The ACE Study is a large-scale, ongoing evaluation examining the link between childhood trauma, and risky behaviors and health issues in adulthood.
The original study was conducted from 1995-1997 by investigators Dr. Robert Anda, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Vincent Felitti, with Kaiser Permanente. The investigators surveyed more than 17,000 Kaiser Permanente HMO adult members about their exposure to ten categories of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction during their childhood. The results, combined with physical exams and ongoing tracking of members’ health, showed a powerful correlation between harmful experiences in childhood and poor adult health outcomes decades later.
ACEs were also found to be vastly common among the general population. Most participants in the original study were white, middle class, and educated. View the CDC’s latest research around ACEs and violence prevention: