Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially

traumatic events that occur during childhood (0-17

years) that can have a lasting negative impact on health

and well-being. These experiences can include various

forms of abuse and neglect,as well as household

dysfunction. ACEs can disrupt a child's healthy

development and increase the risk of physical and

mental health problems later in life.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) often arise from disruptions in caregiving, emotional deprivation, or exposure to harm during critical stages of development. While certain family structures and circumstances aren't inherently damaging, the chronic stress, trauma, and lack of emotional safety they may involve can lead to lasting impacts on a child's mental and physical health.

1. Foster Care

Children in foster care frequently enter the system after exposure to multiple ACEs, such as abuse or neglect. The foster care experience itself can introduce additional adversity through frequent placement changes, inconsistent caregiving, and loss of secure attachments, further compounding trauma.

2. Single-Parent Households

While many single-parent families are loving and supportive, these households may face economic hardship, social isolation, and parental stress. These conditions can create environments where children experience emotional neglect, instability, or take on adult responsibilities prematurely (parentification), increasing their vulnerability to ACEs.

3. Present but Emotionally Unavailable Parents

Some children live in homes where caregivers are physically present but emotionally absent due to mental illness, substance use, work stress, or unresolved trauma. This form of emotional neglect may go unnoticed but can deeply affect a child’s ability to develop secure attachments, regulate emotions, and form healthy relationships.

4. Orphaned Children

Orphaned children—those who have lost one or both parents—often face extreme emotional distress, especially if the loss was sudden or traumatic. In addition to grief and abandonment, they may encounter placement instability, institutional living, or caretakers who lack emotional warmth, increasing the risk of multiple ACEs.

5. Verbally and Physically Abusive Parents

Children raised by parents who use verbal threats, humiliation, or constant criticism experience emotional abuse, while those subjected to hitting, slapping, or physical punishment endure physical abuse—two of the core categories of ACEs. These experiences can undermine a child’s sense of safety and self-worth, increasing the likelihood of depression, anxiety, aggression, and chronic health conditions in adulthood.

In all these scenarios, the presence or absence of safe, supportive adult relationships plays a pivotal role in whether these experiences become toxic or are buffered by resilience. Early intervention, trauma-informed care, and community support systems are essential in breaking the cycle of adversity.

Experiencing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can leave lasting emotional, psychological, and even physical imprints well into adulthood. But healing is possible at any age—and the presence of a supportive, loving adult relationship later in life can be a powerful turning point, even decades after the original trauma occurred.

Contrary to the belief that early trauma irreversibly shapes a person’s future, research shows that the adult brain remains capable of change. Neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections—means that positive relational experiences in adulthood can help rewrite harmful patterns learned in childhood.

A 2019 study published in Child Abuse & Neglect found that adults with high ACE scores who reported having emotional support and positive relationships in adulthood were significantly less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and chronic disease compared to those without such support. This means that even one healthy, trusting relationship in adulthood can interrupt the cycle of trauma.

Loving adult figures— close friends, mentors, therapists, or even community leaders—can:

Offer consistent emotional safety, which many never experienced growing up.
Model secure attachment and respectful communication.
Validate emotions, challenge internalized shame, and support identity formation.
Encourage and facilitate access to therapy, education, or recovery resources.

Your childhood may explain part of your story, but it doesn’t have to dictate your future. The presence of love, safety, and support in adulthood can serve as a second chance—one that reshapes the brain, restores trust, and rekindles hope. No matter how long ago the trauma occurred, healing is always possible.