Understanding ACES: Why Resilience Education Helps Buffer the Effects of Childhood Adversity

September 25, 2026 | Community Giving & Support, Resources for Resilience, Youth & Family Support

“(Adverse Childhood Experiences) are the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today.”

Dr. Robert Block

 

For decades, public health professionals focused primarily on treating symptoms: heart disease, depression, substance use, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions. However after the 1990s, awareness began to shift.

The groundbreaking Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study changed that conversation by asking a simple but powerful question: What happened to you before these problems began?

Published in 1998, the ACE Study fundamentally changed how we understand the connection between childhood adversity and lifelong health. The study revealed that adverse experiences in childhood are surprisingly common and strongly linked to increased risk for chronic disease, mental health challenges, and other negative outcomes across the lifespan.

Today, the ACE Study remains one of the most influential public health discoveries of our time, helping researchers, educators, healthcare providers, and organizations like Resources For Resilience understand the lifelong impact of childhood adversity and the critical role that resilience education plays in prevention and healing.

The landmark ACE Study was one of the primary inspirations for Resources For Resilience’s founding in 2017.

What Is the ACE Study?

The CDC-Kaiser Permanente ACE Study, conducted by researchers from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente between 1995 and 1997, surveyed more than 17,000 adults about experiences they had before the age of 18. It became one of the largest investigations ever conducted into the relationship between childhood adversity and lifelong health outcomes.

In the study researchers examined several types of adverse chilhood experiences, or ACEs, including abuse, neglect, violence, mental illness, and more.

What they found was remarkable: ACEs were incredibly common, and the more ACEs a person experienced, the greater their risk for a wide range of physical, mental, and behavioral health challenges throughout life.

CDC estimates suggest that preventing ACEs could significantly reduce rates of depression, heart disease, suicide attempts, and other major health concerns.

The 10 ACE Categories

The original CDC-Kaiser ACE Study grouped adverse childhood experiences into three broad categories: abuse, neglect, and household challenges.

Abuse
  • Emotional abuse
  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
Neglect
  • Emotional neglect
  • Physical neglect
Household Challenges
  • Household substance use
  • Household mental illness
  • Witnessing domestic violence
  • Parental separation or divorce
  • Incarceration of a household member

These ten experiences were used to calculate an individual’s ACE score and helped researchers identify the powerful connection between childhood adversity and later-life health outcomes.

Since the study, research has also identified additional types of adversities as important factors influencing long-term health and development:

  • Poverty
  • Racism
  • Food insecurity
  • Housing instability
  • Homelessness
  • Natural disasters
  • Community violence
  • Discrimination
  • Bullying
  • The loss of a parent or caregiver

Even though these additional adverse experiences were not included in the original ACE Study, many experts today recognize them as having the same long-term negative impacts on health, opportunity and well-being.

“Twenty years of medical research has shown that childhood adversity literally gets under our skin, changing people in ways that can endure in their bodies for decades. The single most important thing is recognizing what the problem is in the first place.”

Dr. Nadine Burke Harris

The ACE Study fundamentally shifted how many professionals think about behavior. Rather than asking, “What’s wrong with this person?” trauma-informed approaches now ask, “What happened to this person?”

The ‘Dose-Response’ Relationship

One of the most important findings of the ACE Study was the discovery that the higher a child’s ACE score, the greater their likelihood of experiencing negative outcomes later in life.

Researchers found links between ACEs and various types of well-being:

  • Physical health: heart disease, diabetes, lung disease
  • Mental health: depression, anxiety, substance use, suicide
  • Social health: reduced educational achievement, reduced economic opportunity

The ACE Study helped illuminate what scientists now understand about toxic stress: When a someone experiences ongoing adversity without adequate support, the body’s stress response system can become overactivated. Over time, this can affect brain development, immune function, hormonal regulation, and overall health.

About 64% of adults report at least one ACE factor, and roughly 12% have four or more.

 

Reminder: ACEs are not predictive of any one person’s future. Rather, they help us understand risk, recognize the importance of prevention, and highlight the role that supportive, protective relationships and experiences play in helping people thrive.

Your ACE Score Is Not Your Destiny

One of the most important lessons from ACE research is that adversity increases risk, but it does not determine a person’s future.

Human beings are remarkably adaptable. Protective relationships, supportive communities, and resilience-building experiences can buffer the effects of stress and help people thrive despite adversity. Research consistently shows that resilience can be strengthened throughout life.

The CDC emphasizes that children thrive when they have access to “safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments.” These supportive conditions help prevent ACEs and promote positive childhood experiences.

 

Awareness opens the door for greater healing and growth. When people understand how stress affects the nervous system and overall health, they are better equipped to support themselves and others.

Stress At Any Age

What makes ACEs unique is that they occur during critical periods of brain and body development, when children are especially dependent on supportive relationships and safe environments.

While ACEs specifically refer to adverse experiences that occur before the age of 18, as we all know- adversity does not stop in childhood.

There can be many stressful or traumatic experiences occurring in adulthood, including:
  • Divorce or relationship breakdown
  • Job loss
  • Financial hardship
  • Serious illness
  • Caregiving burden
  • Exposure to violence
  • Death of a loved one
  • Housing instability
  • Discrimination
Studies have found that adult adversity can accumulate over time and contribute to poorer physical and mental health outcomes, much like childhood adversity does.

People can encounter significant stress and trauma throughout their lives, so education and tools that support healing and well-being are useful at any age.

An important evolution of ACE research is the study of Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). Researchers have found that supportive relationships, belonging, and feeling safe can help buffer the effects of adversity. This aligns closely with resilience education because it shifts attention from risk factors alone to protective factors and strengths.

 

What This Means for Resilience Education

The ACE Study revealed the profound impact of trauma and stress on our brains and bodies. Resilience education focuses on what can actually be done about it.

This looks like:

1) Translating neuroscience into everyday practice. Once people understand the biology of stress, they can recognize a stress response in themselves and others and respond in an informed way.

2) Learning and practicing tools to help people regulate their nervous systems, strengthen healthy relationships, and reconnect with their own capacity for well-being.

Whether in schools, workplaces, healthcare settings, faith communities, or families, this knowledge and these skills help people:

  • UNDERSTAND how the nervous system responds to challenge
  • NOTICE signs of stress earlier
  • DEVELOP healthy coping strategies
  • STRENGTHEN social connection and community
  • INCREASE feelings of safety and belonging
  • SUPPORT recovery after adversity
Reminder: Resilience is not a trait that some people have and others do not. It is a set of skills, relationships, and experiences that can be nurtured over time.

From Prevention to Preparedness

The bottom line: A preventiative approach of community building and support can buffer the effects of stress and trauma.

Just as we invest in public health measures to prevent physical illness, we can invest in resilience-building practices that help prevent the harmful effects of chronic stress before they become crises.

This is exactly why we’re here: to empower individuals and communities with practical, science-based tools that promote health, connection, and well-being.

We believe that while adversity may be common, so is the human capacity to learn, heal, grow, and thrive.

We have a long way to go, and we can’t do it with you. Thank you for supporting this work!

The ACE Study taught us that adversity can have lifelong consequences, but that proactive support can have lifelong benefits.

REFERENCES

NEXT STEPS

Simple Tools To Help Navigate Community Tragedy & Trauma

July 27, 2026 | Mental Health Matters, Resources for Resilience, RFR Signature Tools, Youth & Family Support

If you’ve ever felt ‘gutted’ after hearing about a violent crime or crisis in your local community, you’re not alone. Community violence affects millions of people and their families, schools, and communities every year.

Tragedy and trauma can take many forms, including homicides, fatal accidents, and other events that impact the safety and well-being of individuals and communities.

Many uncomfortable feelings can result when something has happened to us directly, or from witnessing or hearing about what happened to others in our community. And it can be hard to shake these feelings, especially if the stress is ongoing.

 

At Resources for Resilience, we believe that understanding what is happening in our bodies and brains can help us navigate difficult moments with greater compassion for ourselves and others. The following information offers practical tools to support healing, mental wellness, and resilience during challenging times.

Community tragedy can affect all of us. Even when we are not directly impacted, these events can disrupt our sense of safety, stability, and connection.
Exposure to violent crime can have lasting effects on both individual and community health, with impacts that persist for years or even generations and compound the immediate harm.

Why Community Violence Affects Us So Deeply

Tragedy and trauma can affect entire communities— the families and neighbors of those involved, as well as educators, faith leaders, first responders, and anyone connected to the place where the incident occurred.

When intentional acts of harm or hate occur near our homes, schools, workplaces, or neighborhoods, they can shake our sense of safety and stability. Even if we are not directly affected, knowing violence has occurred in our community can have a profound impact on our well-being.

Exposure to violence or trauma events affects more than our thoughts—it can also affect our bodies and nervous systems. Our brain’s amygdalas (our threat-detection systems) may go into overdrive and stay on high-alert.

When violence happens close to home, it can trigger both emotional and physical stress responses in the body. Any sensations or feelings you experience are all normal, natural human responses to threat, loss, and uncertainty.

Nervous System Regulation is about creating enough stability within ourselves to think clearly, stay connected, and take meaningful action so that we can show up for our communities.
Anytime someone experiences life-threatening danger, significant injury, or loss, there can be PTSD, anxiety, depression or other stress-related difficulties that affect interpersonal relationships and healthy development.

“Making Sense” of Tragedy

Our brains find uncertainty or ambiguity stressful. As such, they will naturally try to “intellectualize” or make sense of traumatic events. This helps restore the feeling that the world is comfortable, predictable, orderly, and manageable.

There are many psychological coping mechanisms, processes and patterns people may have  after experiencing tragedy or trauma:

  • Looking for explanations to regain a sense of control.
  • Asking questions like “Why did this happen?” or “Why would someone do this?”
  • Searching for missed warning signs to prevent future events.
  • Replaying “If only…” or “What if…?” scenarios.
  • Simplifying causes or motives to make sense of complexity.
  • Assigning blame to people, systems, or institutions.
  • Seeking justice or accountability.
  • Looking for reassurance through new routines or safety measures.
  • Comparing the event to past tragedies for perspective.
  • Turning to spiritual, religious, or philosophical beliefs.
  • Replaying the event and ruminating on it.
  • Avoiding people or places connected to the event.

So many of these responses share the same underlying psychological goals: restoring physical, emotional, or psychological safety after an event that has disrupted them.

According to the CDC, youth and young adults are disproportionately impacted by violence in their communities. Exposure to violence as victims, perpetrators, or witnesses creates adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that are more likely to have physical and mental health conditions and behavioral difficulties later in life.
Resources For Resilience was founded upon the findings of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study. In the ACEs framework, community violence is a core ACE because it can disrupt a child’s sense of safety, trust, and attachment and increase the risk of long-term emotional, behavioral, and physical health problems later in life.

Understanding Your Response to Trauma

The human nervous system is designed to respond to percieved threats and danger. Witnessing or hearing about crime or violence nearby can activate survival responses such as Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Shutdown.

When individuals and communities experience a traumatic event, the nervous system can become overwhelmed and dysregulated. You may find yourself feeling:

  • Shocked or distressed
  • Afraid or anxious
  • On edge or irritable
  • Disconnected or numb
  • Angry or frustrated
  • Grief or sadness
  • Exhaustion or overwhelm
  • Confusion or disbelief

Some people feel “amped up” with excess energy and reactivity. Meanwhile, others may feel “shut down”-  depleted, drained, or distant. All of this is ok.

When we perceive danger or threat, our nervous systems automatically activate those survival responses designed to protect us.

Sensations of dysregulation: muscle tension, shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat. Sensations of regulation: relaxed muscles, deep breathing, steady heart rate.

Even after a threat has passed, our bodies can remain stuck in survival mode. Everday sights, sounds or smells that remind us of the traumatic event such as sirens, helicopters, or news coverage may trigger strong emotional or physical reactions.

When stress remains elevated over time, it can contribute to emotional fatigue, sleep difficulties, anxiety, and a lingering sense of unease. We may find ourselves taking extra precautions in our lives, constantly checking for updates, looking at people or situations more suspiciously, or replaying details long after the immediate crisis has passed.

For those who knew someone directly affected by a tragic event, or who are closely connected to those impacted, these responses may be even more intense. This is a natural and understandable reaction.

In times of crisis, uncertainty, or community trauma, it is normal to have big feelings. Traumatic events affect people in many different ways, and it is important to remember that there is no “right” way to respond.
Communities can unite around mourning, rebuilding and recovery OR may become divided by feelings of anger or injustice, and debates over causes, responsibility, and prevention. What part will you play?

Practical Ways to Support Yourself & Your Community

It’s normal for us to be knocked out of our Resilient Zone. The good news is that nervous system regulation is a skill that can be strengthened through simple tools and consistent practices:

Sense In

Acknowledging and naming your emotions can reduce shame and support healing. Simply noticing your physical experience is often the first step toward regulation. Pause and notice what is happening in your body. Ask yourself:

  • Am I feeling activated and restless?
  • Am I feeling shut down or exhausted?
  • Am I somewhere in between?

    Connect With Others

    When difficult moments happen, we have a choice. We can allow pain or grief to divide and separate us, or we can come together to remind one another that hope is still alive, and that no one needs to walk through difficult times alone.

    In the coming days and weeks after tragedy, spending time with trusted friends, family members, neighbors, or community groups can help restore a sense of safety and belonging.

    It’s important to continue strengthening relationships and building hope together. Create or attend safe, supportive spaces where mourning, healing, love, unity, and honest conversations are welcome and encouraged.

    • Memorials and rememberences
    • Candlelight vigils
    • Community potlucks
    • Prayer services
    • Grief ceremonies
    • Storytelling sessions
    • Listening circles

    It’s also important to let others know you can support each other during this difficult time. Phrases that help:

    • “You make sense to me.”
    • “I care about you.”
    • “I’m here.”

     

    Acknowledge Your Resources

    During stressful times, our attention naturally focuses on danger or loss. We can break this thought-loop by looking for signs of safety, care, and community. Micro joys are how we survive macro grief.

    Think about people, places, memories, pets, activities, or personal strengths that help you feel more grounded or supported.

    Ask yourself:

    • What is helping me right now?
    • Who can I lean on?
    • What moment gave me hope?
    • What else is true right now?

    Spend a few moments bringing one of these resources to mind and notice how your body responds.

    Turn Concern Into Action

    We can transform feelings of grief or powerlessness into greater meaning and purpose. Consider:

    • Checking in on a friend or neighbor
    • Attending a community event
    • Volunteering for a local nonprofit
    • Memorializing victims
    • Supporting local healing and prevention efforts
    • Setting boundaries around news and media exposure

    Use Rapid Reset Tools

    Simple body-based practices can help calm the nervous system. These can be done by nearly anyone, anywhere.

    • Taking a slow sip of water
    • Pushing against a wall or chair
    • Going for a walk
    • Singing or humming
    • Tapping your body side to side
    • Lifting heavy objects or doing household or yard work
    • Looking around and noticing your surroundings
    • Feeling your feet on the floor

    The key is to really pay attention to the sensations in your body before, during, and after you use one of these tools.

    Seek Support

    Remember, navigating stressful events takes time, and everyone responds differently. However, if you or others are having an especially hard time, we encourage you to connect with local support services for additional help and resources.

    When we feel calm, alert, and connected, we can think clearly, solve problems, and respond with more care and intention.

    Healing Happens Together

    Your steadiness matters. Every time someone chooses a healthy, supportive, or regulated response, they contribute to the well-being of the entire community.

    Resilience isn’t about pretending everything is okay. It’s about staying present with difficult realities while maintaining the ability to care for ourselves and one another.

    At Resources for Resilience, we know that healing happens over time, through patience and connection. Together, we can create moments of calm, support, and hope—and move from surviving to thriving.We are here for you!

    If your group or network could benefit from additional training and support following a difficult event, we’re here to help. Contact us today to schedule a presentation for your group.

    We are most powerful and capable, both as individuals and as a collective, when we are in in our ‘Resilient Zone.’ This is where we can respond instead of react, connect instead of disconnect.
    Reminder: Resilience is a shared resource—we build it together through relationships, learning, and practice. Taking care of your own nervous system ultimately helps strengthen your family, workplace, and community.

    Next Steps