Abuse Affects Children in The Home

By: Cheyenne Loper

If you have ever taken a psychology or sociology class, you may be familiar with the term “ACES.” Even if you are unaware of its meaning, it is something that can affect you or those you love. ACE stands for “Adverse Childhood Experience.” This is a concept that was a result of a study conducted in 1995-1997 by Kaiser Permanente. The study found that traumatic or adverse childhood experiences can result in health complications later in life, such as engaging in risky behavior, heart disease, or even early death. They are more likely to start smoking, drinking, or socializing with unhealthy people. Due to the seriousness of the effects of traumatic childhood experiences, a questionnaire was created to determine a child or adult’s ACE score. The score would indicate a person’s risk for future health complications. The questionnaire screens for things like abuse in the home, household challenges, or neglect before eighteen years of age. If you are a parent experiencing domestic violence, the impacts on your children may be long-lasting. The current impacts they may already be experiencing are PTSD, difficulty in school, or being more mature than other children their age (often by 7-10 years). In the future, they are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, commit violent crimes, or become a victim of domestic violence in their future relationships.

Domestic violence affects everyone in the household. A victim may want to believe that despite everything, their partner is a good parent. The evidence shows us otherwise. A child who sees a parent abused will experience adverse effects. If you or someone you know is being abused, please reach out to us today.  Our advocates can assist with keeping victims and their children safe by creating safety plans, filing protection orders, or providing resources to help them become self-sufficient. If you or someone you know experienced abuse or neglect as a child and are still trying to heal, we can offer help connecting to counseling, support groups, or other mental health resources. To speak with a trained Victim Advocate, call our confidential crisis line at (317) 731-6140. In the case of an emergency, call 9-1-1.

Reference:
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html