Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events or situations that happen during childhood and lead to long-term stress. In this article, we look at causes, symptoms, and triggers of ACEs, and strategies for coping and recovery. 

Live & On-Demand Webinars

Register for an orientation webinar
to learn about your EAP benefits.

Research & Resources

ACEs and adults

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have identified seven positive childhood experiences (PCEs) that “offset chances of depression and poor mental health in adulthood, even for those who faced numerous childhood adversities.”

How Parents' Trauma Leaves Biological Traces in Children (Scientific American). A technical dive into the biology and impacts of trauma on multiple generations.

Trauma and children

What Are ACEs? And How Do They Relate to Toxic Stress? (Harvard University). Handout/visual aid.

Signs of traumatic stress in children (SAMHSA).

Collaborative Learning Academy on Vimeo. Trauma-sensitive approaches from schools in Washington state.

“Resources, more than individual talent or positive attitude, accounted for the difference between youths who did well and those who slid into drug addiction, truancy and high-risk sexual activity,” writes resilience researcher Michael Ungar, Ph.D. “We learned that if kids were not responding to treatment, it was not the kids’ fault but a failure of the services to meet their needs.… Put in front of a child the necessary help, and he or she will take advantage of it. This is true even with children who are not initially motivated to make something of their lives.”