Introduction

(Nordberg, 2021)

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have far reaching implications and consequences for children and adults alike (Stevens & Dorfman, n.d.). ACEs can stem from personal experiences including physical, verbal, emotional, or sexual abuse; physical or emotional neglect; and from experiences related to someone else such as a parent in prison, a family member being diagnosed with mental illness, or a parent being a victim of domestic violence.


In a few minutes, you will take the ACEs questionnaire to assess your own level of adverse childhood events. Murphey and Sacks (2019) noted the long-lasting negative effects ACEs can have on individuals well into adulthood. By taking the ACEs questionnaire, you will be able to assess the number of adverse childhood events you may have experienced. Then, you will reflect on your results.



Content Warning:

Items on the following questionnaire include mentions of traumatic events such as verbal abuse, physical abuse, alcoholism, and mental illness (among other things). If you begin to feel distressed, please stop taking the ACEs questionnaire and visit the following resources for support:

Click on the icon of the top right of the PDF below to open it in a separate tab. Take the 10 question ACE questionnaire found on the left side of the PDF (used with permission from Robbyn Peters Bennett, LPC). Record your score on the handout for this module.

Microsoft Word - ACE Resilience Image.docx.pdf

(Bennett, 2017)

After Questionnaire Completion:

Now that you have completed the questionnaire, think about how many ACEs you have experienced. Answer the following reflection questions on your handout:

  1. How do you think your ACEs (or lack of) have impacted you as an adult?

  2. How do you think your ACEs (or lack of) have impacted you as an educator?

  3. How might ACEs impact the way people interact with one another?