What are Aces?

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ACES stands for Adverse Childhood Experience - These are  “highly stressful, and potentially traumatic, events or situations that occur during childhood and/or adolescence. They can be a single event, or prolonged threats to, and breaches of, the young person’s safety, security, trust or bodily integrity.” (Young Minds, 2018).

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ACES are inclusive of;

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• Physical abuse

• Sexual Abuse

• Emotional Abuse

• Living with someone who abused drugs

• Living with someone who abused alcohol

• Exposure to domestic violence

• Living with someone who has gone to prison

• Living with someone with serious mental illness

• Losing a parent through divorce, death or abandonment

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Often children and young people who have experienced ACES can find it difficult to recognise and regulate their emotions. It can be challenging to develop and sustain healthy relationships. 

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