Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
What are ACEs?Even though bad things happened to me when I was a kid, I can thrive.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
ACEs are traumatic events or unstable environments children experience before age 18. These stressful incidents can harm social, cognitive, and emotional functioning and undermine the safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments keiki need to thrive.
Maui County
Confirmed Child Abuse & Neglect Victims in 2023
%
of Teens Do Not Get the Mental Health Help They Need
%
of Youth Do Not Have a Supportive Adult They Can Talk to
*Maui County
7 out of 10
ACEs are linked to child welfare issues, which add further challenges for our communities
1 in 5 (19.8%)
Nearly 1 in 5 (19.8%) of adults in Maui County have 4+ ACEs before age 18
*Youth Behavioral Survey 2023
The Lasting Effects of ACEs on Health and Well-Being
Impact: ACEs disrupt a child’s sense of safety, stability, and bonding, and can have lasting effects on health and well-being.
ACEs often occur together; can result in toxic stress; and are associated with many adverse outcomes, including substance use, suicide, overweight/obesity, lower education and earnings potential, and chronic disease.
High Prevalence of ACEs in Hawaiʻi
In Hawaiʻi: ACEs are reported widely. A survey conducted by the CDC and other agencies shows that over 60% of adults in Hawaiʻi have experienced at least one ACE, with a substantial percentage experiencing multiple ACEs, directly increasing the risk of health issues and social challenges.
Cultural and Social Impacts
For Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, historical trauma can worsen ACEs impacts, creating cycles of poverty, substance abuse, and mental health issues across generations.
Protective Factors
Protective factors help buffer the negative impact of ACEs and give keiki a better chance to thrive – even in tough circumstances. Research shows these conditions make a big difference in helping ʻohana overcome challenges and build healthier, more stable lives. Studies show a positive, supportive relationship with one or more adults has the most impact.
Mālama ʻOhana
Create nurturing attachments
Parenting Can Be Hard, But Can
Learn about parenting and child development
Show Keiki Aloha
Help keiki learn social and emotional competence
How You Stay
Establish strong social connections
First, Make Yourself Pono
Strengthen your own resilience as a parent
No Shame
Ask for help in
times of need
Prevention Benefits
Preventing ACEs Leads to Healthier Families and Communities Over Generations.
- Improved Health Outcomes: Reduces rates of depression, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity by addressing root causes.
- Better Life Opportunities: Leads to higher educational attainment, stable employment, and increased income levels.
- Reduced Risky Behaviors: Lowers involvement in substance use, violence, and suicidal behavior.
- Economic Return: Every dollar invested in prevention yields up to $7 in savings through reduced healthcare and social service costs and lower incarceration rates.
- Break the Generational Cycle of ACEs: Parents with multiple ACEs are more likely to pass trauma to their children, perpetuating poor health outcomes.
- Stronger Communities: Builds resilience, fostering healthier families, a more productive workforce, and better preparedness for future crises.
What Can Policymakers do to Prevent ACEs?
Enact Family-Centered Policies that Enhance Economic Security and Boost Protective Factors such as:
- Increase Economic Resilience: Support affordable childcare, paid family leave, livable wages, child tax credits, and housing assistance to reduce ʻohana stress and create stable environments.
- Invest in Prevention Programs: Allocate funding for parenting education, family support services, mental health care, and early childhood education to address ACEs before they occur or escalate.
- Strengthen Community Resources: Expand access to after-school programs, home visiting programs, and substance abuse services so families can build resilience.
- Integrate ACEs Prevention in Schools and Healthcare: Equip educators and providers with ACEs training and screening tools to identify and respond to trauma earlier.
Links to More Protective Factors Resources
Explore these resources dedicated to strengthening family resilience and well-being with protective factors. We aim to connect families with essential support systems that can help them navigate challenges and thrive together.
ACEs Resources – Coming Soon
- Youth Behavioral Survey 2023
Child Abuse Prevention and
Hawaiian Birthing Choices
Connecting Trauma-Informed Practices and Child Abuse Prevention in the Context of Birthing Choice and Maternal Care
Aligning birthing practices with cultural and spiritual traditions strengthens mother-child sense of safety and ability to form a healthy attachment, which correlates with the prevention of child abuse and neglect...read more.
Need Kōkua?
NAVIGATION SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON MAUI, LĀNA’I, MOLOKA’I
Do you or someone you know need assistance with getting services, navigating help for their ‘ohana?
We are Navigators. We will partner with you and your ʻohana to support you through hard times. We will connect you and your ʻohana to community resources and services. There is no limit for how long we can help you and your ʻohana. We will let you lead.
ʻAʻOHE HANA NUI KE ALU ʻIA.
No task is too big when done together by all.
Mary Kawena Pukui, ʻŌlelo Noʻeau No. 142.