Let’s Break It Down
That’s nearly 120,000 children in Nebraska and Iowa.
State level data tells us that 3 in 10 children have experienced 1-2 incidents of childhood trauma. Additionally, an estimated 46,008 children in Nebraska and 72,222 children in Iowa have experienced 3 or more incidents of trauma.
Unfortunately, there currently isn’t enough publicly available data available to understand what’s happening in our local community around this issue. While we have community data on the occurrence of reported child abuse or neglect, as well as the number of children removed from their homes, we do not have a complete, community-level picture of all of the factors contributing to childhood trauma and the impact it has on children. Many organizations are mobilizing to address this issue by collecting data on childhood trauma and creating more concentrated approaches to behavioral health services for children who have experienced trauma.
One way of talking about trauma is through the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study. The study looks at traumatic or dysfunctional childhood experiences and their correlation to adverse health behaviors in adulthood. ACEs are categorized in seven areas:
While it doesn’t encompass the entirety of a child’s experience, the ACE score does offer some insight into their risk level for health complications later in life. The higher the score, the more increased risk a child has for mental, emotional, and physical illnesses manifesting into adulthood. While there are many other causes of stress that may impact health, this looks at the ten most common for children. Click here to take the ACE quiz, find your score, and learn more about how trauma may (or may not) have affected your own childhood.