Anti-Human trafficking groups are interested in the ACEs study because it provides information about how to treat and care for victims of trafficking who are often dealing with various mental and physical issues as a result of their experiences.

According to Psychology Today, effective trauma treatment is necessary to treat the cycle of exploitation and violence.

“It is important for everyone to understand that victims of traumatic events, such as human trafficking, will not always react or behave in the way that we might expect. Trauma-informed care means treating a whole person, taking into account past trauma and the resulting coping mechanisms when attempting to understand behaviors and treat the patient.”

The information that the ACEs test can provide can make a significant impact on treating victims of trafficking and any trauma they deal with. We will learn more about these issues in coming newsletters as part of PTSD Month.

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris: How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration:

“ACEs are strongly related to the development and prevalence of a wide range of health problems throughout a person’s lifespan, including those associated with substance misuse.”

The SAMHSA also states that ACEs are common, with 28% of study participants reporting physical abuse and 21% reporting sexual abuse. Common ACEs also included divorced parents or parental separation and having a parent with a mental or substance abuse disorder.

ACEs often cluster. Almost 40% of the Kaiser sample reported two or more ACEs and 12.5% experienced four or more. This tells us that ACEs occur in a sort of pattern, or cluster, suggesting that many of these issues go hand in hand, impacting the way researchers look at the cumulative effects of ACEs.

ACEs have a dose-response relationship with many health issues. Researcher’s have found overtime, a person’s cumulative ACEs score has a strong relationship to numerous health, social and behavioral issues throughout their life.

Take The ACE Quiz — And Learn What It Does And Doesn’t Mean