What Are ACEs?

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are 10 specific childhood experiences linked to health, emotional, and social challenges in adulthood. Groundbreaking research from the CDC and Kaiser Permanente showed us what many of us already sensed: what happens in childhood doesn't stay there.

This quiz helps answer a powerful question: not what's wrong with me? but what happened to me?

What the Quiz Measures

Personal experiences: Physical abuse | Verbal abuse | Sexual abuse | Physical neglect | Emotional neglect

Family environment: Parental alcohol/substance use | Domestic violence | Incarcerated family member | Family mental illness | Parental absence (divorce, death, abandonment)

One point for each experience before age 18. Higher scores correlate with higher health risks—but your score is not your destiny.

What It Doesn't Capture

This quiz doesn't measure poverty, racism, community violence, or other adversities. It also doesn't account for protective factors—especially supportive relationships, the single greatest predictor of resilience.

A high score doesn't mean you're broken. A low score doesn't invalidate your struggle.

Why This Matters

Awareness is where healing begins. Understanding your history helps you break cycles and build a life you don't need to escape from.

It may not have started with you. But it can stop with you.

This is an educational tool, not a clinical assessment. If you're struggling, please reach out to a mental health professional.