User:Cab1234567/Adverse childhood experiences

Definition and types[edit]
The concept of adverse childhood experiences refers to various traumatic events or circumstances affecting children before the age of 18 and causing mental or physical harm. These experiences were initially developed and tested in the original ACEs study between 1995 and 1997. There are 10 types of ACEs:

Criminality
Youth with ACEs are at increased risk of engaging in criminal activities or youth recidivism, though this correlation was not found to be significant for sexual and physical abuse. Individuals exposed to ACEs have prolonged periods of stress that can increase the likelihood of drug abuse and violence, though these outcomes can be mitigated by stable housing and relationships. Unhoused people and racial minorities experience higher levels of economic inequality that has been found to perpetuate “intergenerational cycles of adversity”, inclusive of criminal activities.

Homelessness
Homeless adults are disproportionately at risk of experiencing ACEs, with approximately 90% of homeless adults exposed to at least one ACE. The combination of homelessness and increased exposure to ACEs combines to increase risk of suicidality, drug abuse, and major depressive disorder. Youth experiencing unaccompanied homelessness are significantly more likely to have worsened health conditions than those with a family member, though both are at greater risk of health problems than housed individuals.

Implementing practices[edit]
 Youth Wellness Center 

To treat and prevent the effects of ACEs, the Center for Youth Wellness (CYW) was developed in San Francisco, California. This community-based resource combines the services of the University of California-San Francisco’s Child Trauma Research Program, San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center’s Children’s Advocacy Center, Bayview Child Health Center, and Stanford Early Life Stress and Pediatric Anxiety Program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Researchers of chronic stress believe that a multi-disciplinary approach inclusive of doctors, educators, social workers, parents, academics, policymakers and law enforcement allows for youth to “optimize patient health through biopsychosocial modes of prevention and intervention”.

Other ACEs Frameworks[edit]
 Immigration Framework 

Over the past decade, researchers have focused on increasing potential Adverse Childhood Experiences to include immigration-specific experiences. The ecological-transactional theory, dimensional model of adversity and psychopathology, and immigration-relation Adverse Childhood Experiences framework intertwine to present immigrant-specific experiences (deportation, racial profiling, fear of immigration services) similarly to the ACEs outlined in the original study. Immigrant children who are exposed to these experiences display chronic stress similarly to children exposed to the traditional ACEs, and can experience poor developmental and health effects due to the toxic stress from these I-ACEs.