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The ACE's Study

Aces tree

 Your ACE Score

The ACE Score takes interrelatedness of ACEs into account to show how they add up to exert their effects.

The number of categories of ACEs is added up for each person to produce the ACE Score (range: 0-10).

As the number of ACEs increases, the risk of developing significant health problems increases sharply; this is called a “dose response” reaction.
More ACEs equals more risk for negative outcomes!
Global Aces impact
Ace image
The original ACE study was conducted at Kaiser Permanente from 1995 to 1997 with two waves of data collection. Over 17,000 Health Maintenance Organization members from Southern California receiving physical exams completed confidential surveys regarding their childhood experiences and current health status and behaviors.
Before your 18th birthday, did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often swear at you, insult you, put you down, or humiliate you; or act in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt?
Before your 18th birthday, did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often push, grab, slap, or throw something at you; or ever hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured?
Before your 18th birthday, did an adult or person at least five years older than you ever touch or fondle you or have you touch their body in a sexual way; or attempt or actually have oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse with you?
Before your eighteenth birthday, did you often or very often feel that no one in your family loved you or thought you were important or special; or your family didn’t look out for each other, feel close to each other, or support each other?
Before your 18th birthday, did you often or very often feel that you didn’t have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, had no one to protect you; or your parents were too drunk or high to take care of you or take you to the doctor if you needed?
Before your 18th birthday, was a biological parent ever lost to you through divorce, abandonment, or other reason?
Was a mother figure often or very often pushed, grabbed, slapped, or had something thrown at her; or kicked, bitten, hit with a fist, or hit with something hard; or ever repeatedly hit over at least a few minutes or threatened with a gun or knife?
Before your 18th birthday, did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic, or who used street drugs?ever repeatedly hit over at least a few minutes or threatened with a gun or knife?
Before your 18th birthday, was a household member depressed or mentally ill, or did a household member attempt suicide?
Before your 18th birthday, did a household member go to prison?
ACE-Related Odds of Developing Adverse Health Conditions
Health outcomes
ACEs contribute to every mortality factor from heart disease, chronic autoimmune diseases, to life altering behavioral patterns in realms like addiction. One of the overarching themes is that the old adage "time heals all wounds" was a lie, and people don't just "get over it"; trauma will live and fester in your body, making you sick.

Expanding The ACEs Study

Types of aces
Updates to ACE categories have included Foster Care involvement and environmental violence.



Like most clinical studies performed throughout history so far, participants and variables have been strongly eurocentric; and ignore institutional and structural racism, politics, and the many systems of oppression that deeply affect the trauma people are exposed to and therefor would increase their ACEs scores. 
 
Aces expanded
Expanded Aces
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