![]() ![]() ![]() That’s according to Peggy Box, MA, behavioral health care specialist with the Foster Care Bridge Clinic at Riley Hospital for Children. For kids at high risk for maltreatment – such as those in foster care – 91% have at least one ACE by the age of six. These children not only face absent parents but also disconnection, instability and trauma from whatever event caused their removal from their homes.Ĭonsider: Nearly half of all children in the U.S. One population who almost inevitably experiences childhood trauma is children in foster care. “But witnessing problem drinking or intimate-partner violence in your home can happen in any culture and at any socioeconomic strata.” ACEs by the numbers “Perhaps your risk for ACEs is higher in neighborhoods where you may witness a drive-by shooting than if you lived in wealthier neighborhoods,” said Ciccarelli. In fact, the groundbreaking study that first provided scientific evidence to link poor health outcomes with ACEs surveyed a population who was nearly 75% white and college educated. While living in poverty is considered an ACE, not all childhood trauma is related to socioeconomic groups. This effectively creates a vicious cycle that can last generations. Typically, the parents of a child who experiences ACEs faced similar abuse or neglect when they were children, too. “This could be witnessing or experiencing violence, neglect or abuse in your home or community, being close to someone who dies by suicide or being sexually assaulted in childhood.” “Adverse childhood experiences often come from various sources of violence,” said Mary Ciccarelli MD, an internist-pediatrician for Riley Children’s Health. A child who is abused or raised without proper care, connection and affection has higher risks for: What is an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE)?Īn adverse childhood experience (ACE) describes the abuse, trauma or neglect that creates toxic stress in a child’s brain, which has been linked with physical illness and mental health conditions as an adult. It involves an intricate web of understanding the issue, preventing and treating the root issues. ![]() But breaking that generational trauma is complex. Adverse childhood experiences can be passed from generation to generation as if they were genetic. Providing healing and care for children and adults means addressing generational challenges. “There’s been a growing movement away from that knowledge in healthcare because we often focus more on genetics and medication than environment.” “What you experience in childhood and how you grow up have huge implications for how you are as an adult,” said Chambers. Like many physicians and researchers, Chambers would argue that the environment in which a child grows up matters just as much – and sometimes more – than genetics in determining the child’s future health. That’s a favorite quote of IU Health psychiatrist R. How Our Understanding of ACEs Provides Better Healing Care for Adults ![]()
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