Jacob Lattig

 

Adverse childhood experiences are potential traumatic events that happen in childhood from the years one to seventeen. ACEs have a big impact on future violence victimization, lifelong health and opportunity. ACEs also include all types of abuse and neglect as well as parental mental illness, substance use, divorce, incarceration, and domestic violence. Toxic stress response can occur when a child experiences strong, frequent, or prolonged adversity such as physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, caregiver substance abuse or mental illness, and exposure to violence. When toxic stress occurs continually it can have a cumulative toll on an individual’s physical and mental health for a lifetime. The more adversity a child goes through in its life the more mental and developmental problems they will have later in life. Children that go through ACE are more likely to have a harder time in school, having increased odds of having bad below average academic skills also including poor literacy skills. Children can also have problems with their attention, social life, and aggression placing them at significant risk for poor school achievements.