Get The Facts

The Issue

Leading studies show that trauma is a public health crisis and the root cause behind much mental and physical illness, addiction, crime, domestic violence, homelessness and suicide. Effective treatments are available but there is a lack of integration between the trauma, mental health and medical fields and of general awareness on the issue. We exist to change that so that healing from trauma becomes the new normal.

The Facts

• Over 1 in 3 women (35.6%) and 1 in 4 men (28.5%) in the US have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.¹

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are common. Three in four high school students reported experiencing one or more ACEs, and one in five experienced four or more ACEs.²

What are ACEs?³

Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). Examples include:

• Experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect.
• Witnessing violence in the home or community.
• Having a family member attempt or die by suicide.

Also included are aspects of the child’s environment that can undermine their sense of safety, stability, and bonding. Examples can include growing up in a household with:

• Substance use problems.
• Mental health problems.
• Instability due to parental separation.
• Instability due to household members being in jail or prison.

The examples above are not a complete list of adverse experiences. Many other traumatic experiences could impact health and well-being. This can include not having enough food to eat, experiencing homelessness, or unstable housing.

Outcomes³

ACEs can have lasting effects on health and well-being in childhood and life opportunities (such as education and job potential) well into adulthood. These experiences can increase the risks of injury, sexually transmitted infections, and involvement in sex trafficking. They can also increase risks for maternal and child health problems including teen pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and fetal death. Also included are a range of chronic diseases and leading causes of death, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and suicide.

ACEs and community factors such as living in under-resourced neighborhoods can cause toxic stress. Toxic stress (extended or prolonged stress) from ACEs can negatively affect children’s brain development, immune system, and stress-response systems. These changes can affect children’s attention, decision-making, and learning.

Children growing up with toxic stress may have difficulty forming healthy and stable relationships. They may also have unstable work histories as adults and struggle with finances, job stability, and depression throughout life. These effects can also be passed on to their own children. Some children may face further exposure to toxic stress from ongoing traumas. These ongoing traumas include the impacts of poverty resulting from limited educational and economic opportunities.

Prevention

Preventing ACEs could reduce many health conditions. For example, preventing ACEs could reduce suicide attempts among high school students by as much as 89%, prescription pain medication misuse by as much as 84%, and persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness by as much as 66%.⁴ Additionally, preventing ACEs could also reduce many health conditions in adulthood, including chronic diseases and behavioral health conditions. Estimates show that preventing ACEs could reduce cases of heart disease by 22% and depression by 78% for adults.⁵