Rethinking the ACE Index: A Developmental Approach to Expanded ACEs and Their Associations With Delinquency

• In Event: Understanding Childhood Victimization Risks and Responses

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) typically refer to traumatic events that occur within the child’s immediate family or household. These stressors cause distress and disrupt the child’s physical, psychological, and social development. Despite empirical support for the ACEs model, critics note that it does not consider a diverse list of adversities that occur outside of the home nor the potential variation of ACEs prevalence or impact as youth age. To address this, the study uses data from approximately 5,500 early and late adolescents who participated in the National Survey of Children's Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV). This study compares past year prevalence of individual and cumulative seminal and expanded ACEs as well as their associations with delinquency across age groups. Results reveal both variation and similarities in the prevalence and impact of individual seminal and expanded ACEs across groups. Additionally, while the seminal cumulative ACEs measure is a stronger predictor of delinquency relative to the expanded measure regardless of age, the effect of the seminal measure is stronger for early adolescents than for late adolescents. Age-based differences are diminished with the use of the expanded cumulative ACEs measure. The presentation concludes with implications for future research and practice.

Author

• Mackenzie Kushner, Independent Researcher / Crime and Justice Institute