Working with children and young people means not only supporting their present needs but also understanding their past experiences and how those experiences shape who they are today.
Increasingly, the term adverse childhood experiences or ACEs has become central to conversations about childhood trauma, resilience, and support systems. But what are ACEs, and why do they matter so much?
What Are ACEs?
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) refer to highly stressful or traumatic events that occur during childhood. Originally identified in a landmark study by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente in the 1990s, ACEs include a range of situations that can significantly disrupt a child’s sense of safety and stability.
Common examples of ACEs include:
- Experiencing physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- Witnessing domestic violence
- Living with a parent or caregiver with a mental illness or substance use issue
- Parental separation or divorce
- Incarceration of a household member
- Neglect (both physical and emotional)
- Exposure to community violence or poverty
These are just a few examples, but they illustrate some of the many ways a child’s environment and early experiences can impact their development.
The Long-Term Effects of Childhood Trauma
When children are exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), especially multiple or ongoing experiences, they are more likely to face challenges that extend far beyond the moment of the trauma itself and experience long-term effects.
These impacts can affect all areas of development: emotional, psychological, physical, cognitive, psychosexual and social. These outcomes are not inevitable, but without appropriate support, the effects of ACEs can be deep and enduring.
1. Mental Health and Emotional Well-being
One of the most well-documented effects of ACEs is the increased risk of mental health challenges throughout life. Children who experience trauma may struggle with:
- Anxiety – including generalised anxiety, separation anxiety, and panic disorders
- Depression – often linked to feelings of worthlessness, shame, or hopelessness that stem from early adversity
- Trauma Symptoms – triggered by exposure to life-threatening or overwhelming events
- Suicidal thoughts and behaviours – particularly when ACEs involve abuse, neglect, or emotional abandonment
These difficulties can persist into adolescence and adulthood unless properly addressed.
2. Disrupted Brain Development and Cognitive Impacts
Early exposure to trauma can significantly alter a child’s neurological development. The brain’s stress-response system becomes hyper alert, preparing for survival rather than learning or connection. This can lead to:
- Impaired executive functioning – difficulty with concentration, planning, impulse control, and decision-making
- Learning difficulties – as trauma disrupts the brain’s ability to absorb and retain information
- Sensory processing issues – children may become hyper- or hypo-sensitive to stimuli such as light, noise, or touch
These neurological changes can affect academic achievement and contribute to behavioural difficulties in school and other settings.
3. Attachment and Relationship Challenges
Children who grow up with inconsistent, unsafe, or emotionally unavailable caregivers often develop insecure or disorganised attachment patterns. These can manifest in various ways, such as:
- Difficulty trusting adults or peers
- Fear of intimacy or rejection
- Need for control or hyper-independence
- Clinginess or emotional withdrawal
Such patterns can make it hard for the child to form healthy, reciprocal relationships throughout life, especially if they’ve never had the opportunity to experience safe, reliable caregiving.
4. Behavioural and Social Difficulties
Many behaviours that are commonly labelled as “challenging” are in fact rooted in trauma. Children who have experienced ACEs may:
- Display anger or aggression, or become physically dysregulated
- Struggle with authority and boundaries
- Engage in risk-taking behaviours or self-harm
- Exhibit low self-esteem or a negative self-concept
These behaviours are often misunderstood as “bad behaviour” rather than as adaptive survival strategies developed in response to chronic stress.
5. Physical Health Problems
The connection between ACEs and lifelong physical health problems is well-established. Prolonged activation of the stress response can lead to things like chronic inflammation or hormonal imbalances, increasing the risk of:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes
- Autoimmune conditions
- Chronic pain and fatigue syndromes
- Behaviours such as smoking, overeating, or substance misuse
In essence, unaddressed childhood trauma doesn’t just impact the brain; it impacts the body, too.
6. Impacts on Identity and Worldview
Children and young people who experience adversity often internalise the message that the world is unsafe and that they are not worthy of love or protection. This can have long-lasting effects on their sense of identity, self-worth and their ability to trust others and feel safe.
Trauma-Informed Care
One of the most effective ways to support children and young people who have experienced adverse childhood experiences is through trauma-informed care. This approach doesn’t ask, “What’s wrong with you?” but instead, “What happened to you?”
Trauma-informed practices aim to create environments that are safe, nurturing, and empowering. Here’s how they help:
- Building trust and safety: Many children who’ve experienced childhood trauma struggle with trust. Trauma-informed settings prioritise consistency, transparency, and emotional safety.
- Understanding behaviour as communication: Behaviours such as aggression and withdrawal are often survival responses. Recognising this helps carers and professionals respond with empathy, which can help to reduce a young person’s feelings of shame.
- Supporting emotional regulation: Teaching and modelling regulation strategies helps children build the skills they may not have had the opportunity to develop earlier.
- Fostering secure relationships: Safe, predictable relationships with trusted adults can begin to repair attachment disruptions and restore a child’s sense of security.
- Empowering children and young people: Giving choices, validating feelings, and involving young people in decisions that affect them promotes autonomy and resilience.
Why This Matters for Carers and Professionals
Whether you work in education, health care, social work, supported accommodation settings, or as a foster carer or adoptive parent, understanding what ACEs are and recognising the signs of childhood trauma is essential. It equips you to meet the child where they are, without judgment.
At Meadows Psychology Service, we work alongside professionals and caregivers to implement trauma-informed care that makes a real difference in the lives of children and young people. By understanding the impact of adverse childhood experiences and applying compassionate, informed strategies, we can collectively break cycles of trauma and foster brighter, healthier futures.
Interested in learning more about trauma-informed care or ACEs?
Contact Meadows Psychology Service for training, consultation, and support tailored to your setting.
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