Building awareness of ACEs while empowering people and communities
We are the ACE Resource Network.
We exist to build awareness of ACEs and to help people and communities prevent and address the effects of ACEs and childhood toxic stress.
What are ACEs?
ACEs are Adverse Childhood Experiences. They are difficult, potentially traumatic experiences a child faces before the age of 18. The landmark Kaiser Permanente-CDC study assessed the following 10 ACEs:
- Physical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Physical neglect
- Emotional neglect
- Household member with mental illness
- Witnessing domestic violence
- Household member with substance abuse
- Incarcerated household member
- Divorce or separation of parents
They are so common that 2 out of 3 of us have at least one.
ACEs can trigger Toxic Stress in the body.
Without protective factors and adequate support, ACEs can lead to toxic stress in the body. Toxic stress can literally alter brain chemistry and biology, and it can even change how our DNA is read and transcribed.
ACEs and toxic stress have been linked to heart disease, stroke, asthma, cancer, depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicide. ACEs may also impact children’s learning and development, our workplace performance, our relationships, and lifespan.
Yet many people, parents, health professionals, and educators don’t know about ACEs. This lack of knowledge leads to significant illness and unimaginable expense – much of which could be averted through awareness, education, and action.
You can heal from ACEs.
ACEs have affected all of us in one way or another. ACEs are what happened to us. They are not who we are. They are part of our story and they shape it. If our well-being has been affected, change is possible and there is hope.
The ACE Resource Network is committed to curating useful resources and sharing strategies to prevent ACEs, address their effects, and support healing at the individual, community, and system levels.
Keep in touch with us and get the latest updates on ACEs and our efforts.