Adverse Childhood Experiences: National and State-level prevalence
Date
2014
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Child Trends
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that can have
negative, lasting effects on health and well-being.¹ These experiences range from physical,
emotional, or sexual abuse to parental divorce or the incarceration of a parent or guardian.
A growing body of research has sought to quantify the prevalence of adverse childhood
experiences and illuminate their connection with negative behavioral and health
outcomes, such as obesity, alcoholism, and depression, later in life. However, prior research
has not reported on the prevalence of ACEs among children in a nationally representative,
non-clinical sample.² In this brief, we describe the prevalence of one or more ACEs among
children ages birth through 17, as reported by their parents, using nationally representative
data from the 2011/12 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). We estimate the
prevalence of eight specific ACEs for the U.S., contrasting the prevalence of specific ACEs
among the states and between children of different age groups.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
adverse effects, prevalence, economic hardship, trauma
Citation
Sacks, V., Murphey, D., & Moore, K. (2014). Adverse Childhood Experiences: National and State-level prevalence. Bethesda, MA.