Adverse Childhood Experiences

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MedlinePlus is a service of the National Library of Medicine, the largest biomedical library in the world. Use MedlinePlus.gov anywhere, anytime, on any device - for free - to discover high-quality health and wellness information that is reliable, easy to understand, and free of advertising, in both English and Spanish.

• Child Abuse
• Child neglect and emotional abuse

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The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation’s medical research agency making important discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on diseases or body systems.

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) conducts and supports research in the United States and throughout the world on fetal, infant and child development; maternal, child and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. The Institute has funded three centers that conduct research on all forms of child abuse and neglect. The Capstone Centers for Child Maltreatment Research promise to identify best practices for prevention and screening, as well as treatment of children affected by abuse.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Study is one of the largest investigations of childhood abuse and neglect and household challenges and later-life health and well-being. The original ACE study was conducted from 1995 to 1997 with two waves of data collection. The original CDC-Kaiser dataset is not available to the public. Kaiser owns the data and data collection is ongoing (e.g., prescription drug use, medical status of original participants). However, The Family Health History and Health Appraisal questionnaires used to collect information for the original CDC-Kaiser ACE Study are not copyrighted and there are free to use.

• Vital Signs: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) [PDF]

The Maternal and Child Health Agency of the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) funds and directs the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), which is a household survey conducted annually by the U.S. Census Bureau. Read their report revealing trends in children’s health-related measures, including significant changes between 2019 and 2020 that might be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The mission of American Academy of Childhood and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) is the promotion of the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through advocacy, education, and research, and to meet the professional needs of child and adolescent psychiatrists.

Recognize the signs of child traumatic stress with the informative infographics and videos developed by National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCSTI) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA).

For the Bookshelf

A Trauma Informed Approach to Library Services | Rebecca Tolley | American Library Association | NonFiction | 2020 | ISBN: 978-0838919811192

A Trauma Informed Framework for Supporting Patrons: the PLA Workbook of Best Practices | The Public Library Association Social Worker Task Force | NonFiction | 2022 | ALA Editions | ISBN: 978-0838949566112

Looking at Trauma: A Tool Kit for Clinicians | Penn State University Press | 2021 | Graphic Medicine | ISBN: 978-0271092072