Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Assessment

A detailed self-assessment and reflection examining the common forms of childhood trauma, which are also referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

How was your childhood? Are you aware that about two-thirds of us have experienced at least one traumatic event in childhood – including things like abuse, neglect, bullying, violence, food insecurity, homelessness, and more? Moreover, about one-quarter of us experienced three or more such events. Researchers call these traumatic events Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

This self-assessment is for your benefit only. If you have been struggling as an adult and have been unable to pinpoint the reason why, this assessment may be illuminating and extremely helpful.

Please note that any one of these questions could be triggering; I encourage you to lean into each one with curiosity, but if your reaction feels too powerful, please seek outside help before continuing.

If you prefer a printed version of this assessment, please feel free to download the PDF Adverse Childhood Experiences Assessment.

Directions: Below is a list of potential Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that may have occurred to you in childhood (birth to age 18). From the list below, please place a checkmark next to each ACE category that you experienced at least once prior to your 18th birthday.

1. Did you ever experience physical abuse from an adult beyond normal disciplining, including hitting, kicking, slapping, or physically hurting you?

2. Did you experience any kind of unwanted sexual contact at any time, including touching, petting, fondling, or oral/anal/vaginal penetration?

3. Did you grow up in a household where there was verbal abuse directed at you, including repeated insults, harsh criticism, or swearing?

4. Did any adults in your household ever hit, punch, kick, or beat on one another?

5. Did any of the adults in your household suffer from substance abuse, whether alcohol or other hard drugs?

6. Did any of the adults in the household struggle with depression, mental illness, or attempt suicide?

7. Did you lose any member of the household due to divorce or death?

8. Did you live with anyone who went to jail during your childhood?

9. Did you experience ongoing emotional neglect, including feeling unseen, unheard, unsupported, or emotionally disconnected from siblings or caregivers?

10. Did you grow up in a neighborhood where you frequently felt unsafe because of crime, violence, gangs, or other threats?

11. Did you feel neglected, with a general sense that no one was taking care of you?

12. Did you experience any periods of being unsheltered or on the streets?

13. Did you experience repeated bullying during childhood?

14. Did you experience violence (including animal cruelty) outside the household?

15. Did you experience poverty and/or food insecurity?

16. Did you experience repeated hospitalizations, painful medical procedures, or serious childhood illnesses that caused fear or distress?

17. Did you experience any form of repeated racial harassment or discrimination?

18. Did you witness or experience any serious accident?

19. Did you live through one or more natural disasters?

20. Did you live with instability, including frequent changes in caregivers, schools, and living conditions?

Your ACE Reflection Score

Count the number of experiences you checked:

• 0-2: You experienced relatively few of the adversities included in this assessment.

• 3-5: Childhood adversity may have played a meaningful role in shaping your beliefs, behaviors, relationships, and health.

• 6-10: Childhood trauma may have had a significant impact on multiple areas of your life.

• 11+: Consider exploring trauma-informed healing resources, as adverse experiences may still be affecting your well-being today.

Please remember: this score is not a diagnosis and does not determine your future. Some people are profoundly affected by one traumatic experience, while others may appear less affected despite multiple adversities. The purpose of this assessment is for your understanding, awareness, and healing.

If you want to take this assessment to the next level, go back over each of these 20 questions and reflect on the time period (childhood vs. adolescence) and the impact you feel today, as your memory allows.

Finally, if you are willing, make a final judgment on the impact of these events on your mental and physical health. How badly were you affected? Not much at all, some impact, quite a lot.

The next step, if you feel called to take it, is to learn more about healing journeys and trauma recovery. Understanding your childhood experiences through an adult lens can help you make sense of old patterns, develop greater self-compassion, and move toward greater wholeness and well-being.

Interested in learning more about childhood trauma? Please read my article, The Hidden Lifelong Impact of Childhood Trauma.

Additional Childhood Trauma Resources

• ACEs are not equal: Examining the relative impact of household dysfunction versus childhood maltreatment on mental health in adolescence

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): The Original 10 ACEs (Part 1 of Series)

• Adverse childhood experiences and health outcomes: a 20-year real-world study

• What Is Childhood Adversity and How Does It Affect Health?

• Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults

• How Does an Abusive Childhood Affect Adulthood?

• The Long-term Health Outcomes of Childhood Abuse