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Adverse Childhood Experiences Examination

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Adverse Childhood Experiences Examination

An Explanation of the Topic Selected

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) refer to the traumatic events experienced by

children between the ages of 0 and 17. Children from poor backgrounds and those who have

lost their parents are more likely to experience ACEs. Notably, there are three categories of

ACEs. The first category is household dysfunction, which includes mental illness, alcohol

and drug abuse, divorce and parental separation, criminal behavior, and domestic violence

(Boullier & Blair, 2018). The second category is emotional and physical negligence, while

the third category is sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.

ACEs have significant effects on children's lives. For instance, prolonged stress

resulting from trauma disrupts the brain development of a child as well as the functioning of

the nervous and immune systems. Additionally, children that have experienced ACEs may

have trouble blending in socially and maintaining stable relationships. Psychologically,

children with ACEs go through a lifetime of nightmares, flashbacks, post-traumatic stress

disorder, and difficulty concentrating (Forkey et al., 2019). Notably, children that have had

physical injuries have lowered self-esteem and an increase in startle response.

Moreover, sexually abused victims develop a sense of unworthiness and are likely to

abuse drugs to help them cope with the guilt and shame they feel. Generally, ACEs affect the

neural, cognitive, and physical development of a child. According to chapters two and four of

Griggs Psychology, cognitive development affects children's and adults' learning and memory

(Griggs, 2017). Further, ACEs affect the neural development of people. Adults that

experienced ACEs are often stressed, which makes them develop alcoholism, eating

disorders, depression, and engaging in illegal behaviors and acts of crime. Moreover, ACEs

have devastating and lasting effects that affect the well-being of an individual. For example, a

person can acquire sexually transmitted diseases or infections like HIV. Although STDs can
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be healed, they may cause health complications like infertility, pelvic pain, inflammatory

diseases, and pregnancy impediments. HIV, on the other hand, can cause prolonged

psychological and social effects. However, it is essential to note that ACEs do not necessarily

determine the outcome of a child. For some children, adverse experiences teach them to be

resilient and determined to change their lives positively.

It is essential to understand the impacts of ACEs to enhance the development of

interventions that can mitigate the adverse effects of ACEs. They can be prevented by

ensuring that families create a nurturing environment and positive relationships for their

children. Furthermore, mitigating ACEs can lower the causes of adult health conditions such

as depression, infections, drugs, and suicidal thoughts that lead to death. Children that have

experienced adverse experiences should attend therapy to enhance their cognitive behaviors

and or their parents to strengthen their parenting ability to promote resilience in the family

(Jones, Merrick, & Houry, 2020). Therefore, preventive efforts are essential in addressing the

social and health challenges to better the livelihoods of social communities, families, and

children.

Some of the preventive efforts include: promoting social norms that advocate against

adversities, child violence, and domestic violence. The other strategy is to strengthen

economic support to vulnerable families, ensuring a supportive and robust start for children

and linking children and youth to caring and responsible adults and positive activities. The

final strategy is to intervene to mitigate immediate danger and long-term effects and to teach

excellent parenting skills to prevent ACEs.

Awareness should be created and raised to prevent children from having ACEs and

reduce stigmatization for those seeking help due to traumatic stress. Therefore, parents and

caregivers need to nurture their children during their early years to enhance a more robust and
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active brain structure. Early life attachments and experiences between parents and their

children are vital for a child's brain development.

SECTION A: Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have several outcomes in children. Multiple

exposure of children to sexual abuse, child neglect, drug abuse, physical and mental

abuse is most likely to result in.

A. Disrupted child neuro and cognitive development.

B. Social and emotional impairment

C. Diseases, physical and mental disability, death and social issues

D. Child misconduct and the adoption of risky health habits

E. All of the above

2. Getting to learn a child’s temperament can be helpful in understanding and explaining

why a child behaves in a certain manner. A parent learns a child’s temperament by

observing how a child plays, handles objects, and how the child responds to

situations. Which child exhibits a feisty temperament?

A. A child who eats and sleeps at a regular interval every day

B. A child who is constantly moving, and intensely reacts to various positive

or negative situations.

C. A child who is uncomfortable and moody in a new environment.

D. A child who is selective and is resistant to a regular routine

3. Most perpetrators of sexual abuse in children are people close, related, or familiar to

the child. Thus, children tend to find it difficult to identify features of abuse from

people they trust. Often times, sexual abusers persuade children to be silent by

threatening them or reassuring them that sex is normal. Which one is not a behavioral

indicator of a sexually abused child?

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A. Depression

B. Vaginal or Penile discharge

C. Acute traumatic reactions such as clingy children

D. Poor self-esteem

E. Eating and sleeping disorders.

4. Promoting Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) awareness is key to implementing

ACE’s preventive measures. Programs that help people learn and understand ACEs

can?

A. Promote a child’s brain development, especially the hippocampus, which is

essential in learning and good memory.

B. Reduce children’s social, psychological, and emotional problems.

C. Nurture safe and stable relationships, and promote safe learning, living

and playing environments for children.

D. Prevent children from contracting sexually transmitted infections

5. Understanding the negative impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences enhances the

development of various interventions to mitigate them. Which one is not a preventive

measure of ACEs?

A. Connecting children that are experiencing ACE’s to caring and responsible

adults as well as activities such as mentoring programs

B. Promoting social norms and values that forbid child abuse through public

campaigns and legislative approaches.

C. Teaching parenting skills that are safe and healthy for a child’s growth.

D. Preventing children from going to parks, public playing grounds or

meeting with friends.

SECTION B: Fill-In the Blank Prompts

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1. Genital injury, pregnancy, presence of sexual fluids such as sperms, Urinary Tract

Infections, vaginal discharge, bleeding and STI’s are __________indicators of child

sexual abuse while a change in appetite or sleeping pattern, fear, anxiety, depression

and, inappropriate obsessive sexual behavior are _______ indicators of child sexual

abuse. (Physical, Behavioral)

2. Child________ is a form of Adverse Childhood Experience where parents fail to meet

the basic need s of a child which include clothing, emotional and social support,

safety needs, health care, education, and shelter. (Neglect)

3. ___________ is a post-traumatic behavior which means that children avoid places,

people or objects that remind them of terrifying experiences, or events. For example,

if a child was molested in the basement, he/she will grow up fearing basements and

avoiding them. (Avoidance)

SECTION C: Essay Question

Domestic violence is a form of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Bright, et al., 2018). Discuss

its effects on children. 

The answer should include the following aspects 

A brief introduction about domestic violence or its definition. Domestic violence is abuse

that involves married couples in a home setting, which can include physical injuries, sexual

violence, economic or psychological violence.

Development of fear and anxiety, children who witness their parents fighting, are always

frightened, and they are always on guard worried when the next fight will happen.

Sleeping and eating disorders affected children often have an abnormal sleeping and eating

pattern that is not regular. Additionally, children may experience horrifying nightmares that

make them cry night or develop bed-wetting behavior. 

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Developing a false sense of guilt, children, especially teens, may start feeling guilty and

blaming themselves as a cause of their parent’s problems. For example, economic violence

may be as a result of parents struggling to pay fees and provide basic needs for their

children. 

Low self-esteem, children develop an overall feeling of low self-worth when their parents

openly insult each other with obscene names and phrases. Children internalize the obscene

phrases which they constantly playback in their heads. 

Inappropriate and violent behaviors such as bullying other students or starting

fights, childhood bullying, and violence is correlated with domestic violence. Additionally,

bullies who complete school adjust their bullying mechanisms to an advanced level where

they start bullying their spouses and workmates. 

Engaging in risky behavior such as alcohol and substance abuse, teens may start abusing

drugs secretly to manage the intolerable psychological and emotional effects they experience

when their parents fight. Also, parents who abuse drugs then end up being violent, greatly

influence the chances of their children abusing drugs too. 

Development of mental conditions such as depression, children who eyewitness their

mothers being sexually abused may develop several mental health conditions. Severe

depression may have long-lasting consequences—for example, recurrent depression in later

episodes of a child’s life or suicidal thoughts. 

Loneliness and self-isolation from other children, children may start feeling hopeless and

lose the meaning of social life. Often, they will feel inferior in a social setting when they are

with their friends. As a result, they isolate themselves.  

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A determination of points for each of your questions and a calculation of the percentage

for each question of the total 100% available.

The examination will consist of three sets of questions;

1. Multiple questions

2. Fill in blank prompt questions

3. Essay question

The questions will be graded as shown below.

1. Multiple Questions

There will be 5 multiple questions. Each question will carry 6 points. Therefore, the first set

of the multiple questions will account for 30% of the paper.

5*6=30

30/100*100=30%.

2. Fill in Blank Prompt Questions

The fill in blank prompt questions will be three with each question carrying 10 points.

Therefore, the second set of questions will account for 30 % of the paper.

3*10=30

30/100*100=30%

3. Essay Question

The essay question will account for 40% of the paper. The paper will be marked out of 100.

40/100*100=40%

30% + 30% + 40%=100%

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References

Boullier, M., & Blair, M. (2018). Adverse childhood experiences. Paediatrics and Child

Health, 28(3), 132-137.

Bright, M. A., Huq, M. S., Spencer, T., Applebaum, J. W., & Hardt, N. (2018). Animal

cruelty as an indicator of family trauma: Using adverse childhood experiences to look

beyond child abuse and domestic violence. Child Abuse & Neglect, 76, 287-296.

Forkey, H., Gillespie, R., Pettersen, T., Spector, L., & Stirling, J. (2019). Adverse childhood

experiences and the lifelong consequences of trauma. American Academy of

Pediatrics, 1-5. Retrieved from

https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/ttb_aces_consequences.pdf

Griggs, R. A. (2017). Psychology: A concise introduction (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth.

Jones, C. M., Merrick, M. T., & Houry, D. E. (2020). Identifying and preventing adverse

childhood experiences: Implications for clinical practice. Journal of American

Medical Association, 323(1), 25-26