Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University – 2018
This fact sheet explains Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can include things like physical and emotional abuse, neglect, caregiver mental illness, and household violence. It notes the more ACEs a child experiences, the more likely he or she is to suffer from things like heart disease and diabetes, poor academic achievement, and substance abuse later in life. The impact of toxic stress due to things like racism and community violence is noted and ways to reduce the effects of ACEs and toxic stress are discussed.
