Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Understanding difficult experiences and how to find support.
What are ACEs?
ACEs stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences. These are difficult things that can happen when you're growing up. Some examples include:
- • Your parents arguing a lot or separating
- • Feeling unsafe or unloved at home
- • Someone close to you having big health problems (in their body or their mind)
- • Being treated unfairly, hurt, or shouted at too much
- • Seeing or hearing scary things like violence or shouting
These experiences are not your fault, and you didn’t do anything to deserve them.
How Can They Affect You?
When tough things happen in childhood, they can leave behind feelings that are hard to understand. You might:
Feelings & Thoughts
- • Feel anxious, angry, or really sad
- • Blame yourself for things
- • Feel like you can’t trust people
Daily Life
- • Find it hard to sleep
- • Hard to concentrate
- • Get poorly more often
These are all normal reactions to difficult experiences.
Can Things Get Better?
Yes. Even if life has been really hard, things can improve. Talking about what’s going on and getting support makes a big difference.
Talk to a trusted adult
Use creative outlets
Take care of your body
Ask for help when struggling
If you need someone to talk to:
You are not broken. You are not to blame. You are doing the best you can – and that’s more than enough.
Mark Else
My experience ranges from running playgroups for pre-schoolers to managing complex safeguarding caseloads within both mainstream and SEMH provisions. In addition to having worked within the education sector since 2018, I am currently studying for a Level 6 Youth Work degree.