Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) describe a range of experiences which can cause significant stress to a developing child.  ACEs are thought to be relatively common, with almost half the population experiencing at least one ACE and 9% having four or more ACEs. Children who experience a high number of ACEs are more likely to face a range of problems in future that will be relevant for services with which they come into contact. These include schools, healthcare serivces,  and the criminal justice system. In fact, any person who works in a public-facing career will come into contact with people who have experienced significant levels of trauma and adversity in their early life.  The aim of  Adovocates for ACE is to raise awareness of the potential lifelong impact of early life trauma and adversity in undergraduate students from a variety of fields, but especially students whose future career will involve working with other people.

Understanding how to spot the effects of early trauma and adversity and knowing how to respond is the first step in becoming an Advocate for ACES.