What are Adverse Childhood Experiences?
Potentially traumatic events that occur
in childhood (0-18 years)
What is the impact?
- Undermines child’s sense of safety, stability, and bonding
- Lasting, negative effects on life opportunities, education and job potential
- Negatively affects brain development, immune systems, and stress-response systems
- Develops toxic stress and lowers resilience
Youth of NC is providing a fundamental shift on how we think about trauma
FROM
‘what’s wrong with you’
TO
‘what happened to you’
The Science of ACEs & Toxic Stress
ACEs and toxic stress can affect health, but toxic stress is treatable
Youth-serving organizations have an important role to play in understanding ACEs and helping to prevent and treat toxic stress to improve the lives of our youth.
Understanding the science of ACEs and toxic stress and how it can manifest in the body is critical to the future of our youth and helping them to be resilient adults.
ACEs are strongly associated, in a dose-response fashion, with some of the most common, serious, and costly health conditions facing our society today, including seven of the 10 leading causes of death in the U.S., as well as earlier mortality.
Toxic Stress
A consensus of scientific evidence demonstrates that high doses of cumulative adversity experienced during critical and sensitive periods of early life development – without the buffering protections of trusted, nurturing caregivers and safe, stable environments – can lead to long-term disruptions in brain development and immune, hormonal, and metabolic systems, acting through genetic regulatory mechanisms. This condition is now known as the toxic stress response.
Not all stress is bad. Some stress is a necessary and even essential part of growth and development; it can help us transiently mobilize energy and increase focus to perform better at the task at hand, such as an upcoming test, the big game, or a presentation at work. There are 3 types of stress:
- Positive Stress: Brief elevations in stress hormones, heart rate, and blood pressure in response to a routine stressor (e.g., a test, game).
- Tolerable Stress: Time-limited activation of the stress response that if buffered by relationships with adults who help the child adapt, the brain and other organs recover (e.g., natural disaster).
- Toxic Stress: High doses of adversity experienced during critical and sensitive periods of early development, without adequate buffering protections, can become “biologically imbedded” leading to the toxic stress response (e.g., ACEs).
Other Risk Factors for Toxic Stress
In addition to ACEs, exposure to other adversities, such as poverty, racism, discrimination, housing and food insecurity, are associated with health risks and are also believed to be risk factors for toxic stress. However, whether and to what extent these factors act through the toxic stress response is still under investigation.
The Impact of ACEs and Toxic Stress on Health
ACEs and toxic stress are associated with increased risk of a wide range of health conditions in both pediatric and adult populations, known as ACE-Associated Health Conditions. The life expectancy among populations with six or more ACEs is 20 years shorter than that of populations with none.
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Trauma-Informed Care
Understanding and caring for youth affected by toxic stress
Trauma-informed care recognizes and responds to the signs, symptoms, and risks of trauma to better support the life needs of youth who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress.
Trauma-informed care is a framework that involves:
- Realize the prevalence of trauma and adversity and their impacts on health and behavior;
- Recognizing the effects of trauma and adversity on health and behavior;
- Training leadership, providers, volunteers and staff on responding to youth with best practices in trauma-informed care;
- Respond by integrating knowledge about trauma and adversity into policies, procedures, practices, services, and treatment planning; and
- Avoiding re-traumatization by approaching youth who have experienced ACEs and/or other adversities with non-judgmental support.
Principles
The following key principles of trauma-informed care should serve as a guide for all who serve youth:
- Establish the physical and emotional safety of youth and the individuals who serve them
- Build trust and community with youth
Recognize the signs and symptoms of trauma exposure on physical and mental health - Promote youth-centered, evidence-based support
- Ensure youth-serving organizations collaboration by using agreed upon best practices
- Provide care that is sensitive to racial, ethnic, and cultural background, and gender identity
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