This is not JUST an InCidEnt.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are traumatic events that happen in childhood, ages 0-18 years old.

ACEs include; experiencing violence, abuse, neglect and witnessing violence in the home or community. These experiences also include; a family member attempt or die by suicide or witnessing someone being locked up.

By these events occurring while the individual is still within their development years, the experiences and understanding of these events has an affect on them now and later.

Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences in children increases problems with learning and memory, which can both have permanent effects.

How do ACEs Affect Physical Health?

Frequent or prolonged exposure to ACEs can lead to toxic stress which damages the developing brain of a child and affects overall health.

This leads to faulty decision making skills, anxiety, depression, anger. The issue arises when parents are unaware of the lasting negative impact these experiences have on their children.

Research found that ACEs had a vast impact on health outcomes later in life. The ACEs study noted that stress is a biological mechanism that all humans can experience. Traumatic events do not only happen to children, they occur inside their brains and bodies too.

Stress causes the body to release cortisol. Prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol, known as toxic stress, impacts the brain’s capacity & ability to learn. The definition of ACEs now includes the impact of racism, oppression, & community violence.

The more ACEs experienced as children increases the likelihood of faulty choices.