We're #OutAboutACEs, Are You?
You could help us address a growing public health crisis
In partnership with the ACEs Aware initiative, the California LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network is dedicated to saving lives. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic or stressful life events that occur before a person is eighteen. ACEs describe ten categories of adversities in three domains: abuse, neglect, and/or household dysfunction. Scientific consensus demonstrates that ACEs are the root cause of some of the most harmful, persistent, and expensive health challenges faced by our state.
As a healthcare provider, you can help fight this crisis by becoming ACEs Aware. Through ACEs screenings, you can learn to respond with evidence-based interventions and implement trauma-informed care.
Research shows that LGBTQI+ were more likely to have experienced poly-victimization
Compared to their straight counterparts, LGB individuals report:
- Disproportionately higher prevalence of ACEs
- They are more likely to experience patterns of abuse
- High rates of abuse and poly-victimization by parents
- In a study conducted by Smith College, respondents who identified as trans-spectrum identity reported being bullied or humiliated by their family, as well as feeling unsupported within their family at higher percentages than respondents with non-trans identities.
Overall, multiracial and gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals carry the greatest burden of experiencing ACEs.
Sterzing, P. R., Gartner, R. E., Goldbach, J. T., McGeough, B. L., Ratliff, G. A., & Johnson, K. C. (2017, May 11). Polyvictimization Prevalence Rates for Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents: Breaking Down the Silos of Victimization Research. Psychology of Violence. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/vio0000123
Prevalence of ACE Score by Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
Prevalence of ACE Score by Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
