Adverse childhood experiences
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are preventable, potentially traumatic events occurring in childhood. They can include suffering verbal, physical and sexual abuse; living in a household where challenges such as domestic violence, substance misuse and mental illness are present; and exposure to bullying and community violence.
What do we know about ACEs?
In 2016 we published our first Welsh adverse childhood experiences study. This measured nine forms of ACEs focused on those occurring in household settings. It found:
At that time the study revealed:
- 47% of adults in Wales suffered at least ACE in their childhood
- 14% suffered four or more ACEs
People who suffer ACEs can be at increased risk of poor health and social well-being throughout life. The more ACEs people are exposed to, the greater these risks can be.
ACEs pose substantial costs on individuals, public services and society.
ACEs increase people’s risks of adopting health harming behaviours such as smoking and alcohol and drug use. They are strongly linked to poor mental health and well-being. ACEs are also linked to the development of diseases such as cancer and heart disease. This can occur both through their effects on health harming behaviours and through the effects that chronic childhood stress can have on developing biological systems.
ACEs are not just a concern for health. ACEs can impede children’s educational performance and are associated with lower employment and earning potential in later life. They increase individuals’ risks of involvement in violence as both a victim and a perpetrator. They are also associated with involvement in crime, with high levels of ACEs identified in the prison population in Wales.
The harmful effects of ACEs can mean that people who experience multiple ACEs as children are at increased risk of exposing their own children to ACEs. This cycle of childhood adversity can lock generations of families into poor health and social well-being.
We can break the cycle at any stage – it’s never too late. Preventing adverse childhood experiences in a single generation or reducing their impacts can benefit not only those children but also future generations in Wales.
Mae profiadau niweidiol yn ystod plentyndod yn effeithio ar bobl o bob oed ac yn croesi pob ffin gymdeithasol. Fodd bynnag, dengys ein hymchwil fod y rhai sy’n byw mewn ardaloedd difreintiedig mewn mwy o berygl o brofi ACEs lluosog. However, our research shows that those who live in areas of deprivation are at greater risk of experiencing multiple ACEs
What are we doing to address ACEs?
The ACE Hub Wales exists to ensure Wales becomes a world leader in ACE free childhoods. Our mission is to share ideas and learning, and to challenge and change ways of working so together, we break the cycle.
We will do this by:
- Spreading information and knowledge enabling the voices of communities, children and families to co-design solutions that will work for them.
- Sharing evidence about what organisations can do differently to help prevent and mitigate Adverse Childhood Experiences
- Developing knowledge and skills amongst professionals, providing training for them to enable themselves and their organisations to grow their internal and external networks to change practice.
- Pulling learning from individuals, communities, organisations and the wider system and sharing it through a range of action learning sets and communities of practice.
- Driving change and system transformation at local and national levels.
Find out more about the ACE Hub Wales.
Contact
Contact the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Hub for further information.
You can also contact the Public Health Collaborating Unit for further information on research on ACEs.
Further information
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