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The next most common source of trauma, affecting 9 per-
cent of children, is living in a family in which someone has a drug
or alcohol problem. An estimated 8.2 percent of children have
been traumatized due to a parent or guardian being incarcerated,
and 7.8 percent live with someone who is mentally ill, suicidal,
or severely depressed. Other ACEs cited in the Child Trends re-
port include seeing or hearing parents or other adults acting vio-
lently in the home (5.7 percent), being the victim of or witnessing
neighborhood violence (3.9 percent), often being treated unfairly
or judged due to race or ethnicity (3.7 percent), and the death of
a parent or guardian (3.3 percent).
Aside from the traumatic incidents that affect young people
most frequently, trauma can also result from a number of other
experiences. Being physically, emotionally, or sexually abused, for
example, is among the worst trauma a child or adolescent can
endure. Neglect is also traumatic; some experts, in fact, say it is
even more traumatic than abuse because children need so des-
perately to feel loved and accepted. Other potential sources of
trauma include experiencing violence at school, such as a shoot-
ing; bullying; living in a home where there is domestic violence;
being affected by a devastating fi re or natural disaster; and/or
being involved in a serious automobile accident.

A Teacher’s Disturbing Discovery
As awareness of childhood trauma has grown over the years, pro-
fessionals who work with children and adolescents have become
more concerned about its prevalence. This is true of Bill Soules,
a psychology teacher from New Mexico. Soules was familiar with
childhood trauma, having studied the research, and he knew about
the close connection between ACEs and mental and physical ill-
ness. After reading about the soaring prevalence of ACEs, Soules
decided that childhood trauma would be a good discussion topic
for his advanced placement (AP) psychology classes. He devel-
oped a ten-question survey and gave each student a blank note
card to anonymously record any ACEs he or she had experienced.

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