Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic events that affect children while growing up, such as suffering child maltreatment or living in a household affected by domestic violence, substance misuse or mental illness.

Below are a range of links to media clips, research reports and presentations providing information and evidence base to the effects of ACEs.

Public Health Network Cymru media clip on ACEs - This short animated film has been developed to raise awareness of ACEs, their potential to damage health across the life course and the roles that different agencies can play in preventing ACEs and supporting those affected by them.

Public Health Wales Publications

ACEs and their impact on health-harming behaviours in the Welsh adult population - Report (Published January 2016)

ACEs and their impact on health-harming behaviours in the Welsh adult population - Infographic (Published January 2016)

ACES and their association with mental wellbeing in the Welsh adult population - Report (Published June 2016)

ACES and their association with mental wellbeing in the Welsh adult population - Infographic (Published June 2016)

ACEs and their association with chronic disease and health service use in the Welsh adult population - Report (Published November 2016)

ACEs and their association with chronic disease and health service use in the Welsh adult population - Infographic (Published November 2016)

Sources of resilience and their moderating relationships with harms from adverse childhood experiences Welsh Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and Resilience Study Report (January 2018)

Sources of resilience and their moderating relationships with harms from adverse childhood experiences - Infographic (Published January 2018)

Harmful impact of childhood trauma on education – and what protects some children from those harms – Report Highlights (September 2018)

Relationships with childhood health and school absenteeism - Infographic (September 2018)

Ace Aware Wales - The ACE Support Hub has been set up by a voluntary collaboration of organisations called Cymru Well Wales, to support you in making changes that make Wales a leader in tackling and preventing ACEs. Working with you, our mission is to share ideas and learning, and to challenge and change ways of working so together, we break the cycle of ACEs.

Introduction to Adverse Childhood Experiences - provided by Jan Bond Public Health England – Explanation into ACE’s, Toxic Stress, effect of trauma and discussion of prevention, early intervention and mitigation of ACEs.

NHS Health Scotland media clip on ACEs - NHS Health Scotland has produced this short animation to contribute to raising awareness about the impact of childhood adversity. They hope it can stimulate discussion about what action can be taken to both prevent and respond to early adversity.