Calculate Your ACE Score

What’s Your ACE Score?

There are 10 types of childhood trauma measured in the ACE Study. Five are personal — physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect. Five are related to other family members: a parent who’s an alcoholic, a mother who’s a victim of domestic violence, a family member in jail, a family member diagnosed with a mental illness, and the disappearance of a parent through divorce, death or abandonment. Each type of trauma counts as one.

While you were growing up, during your first 18 years of life:

 

  1. Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often…Swear at you, insult you, put you down, or humiliate you? Or Act in a way that made you afraid that you might be physically hurt?

Yes    No                                                If yes enter 1 ________

  1. Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often… Push, grab, slap, or throw something at you? Or ever hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured?

Yes    No                                               If yes enter 1 ________

  1. Did an adult or person at least 5 years older than you ever…Touch or fondle you or have you touch their body in a sexual way? Or Attempt or actually have oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse with you?

Yes    No                                               If yes enter 1 ________

  1. Did you often or very often feel that…No one in your family loved you or thought you were important or special? Or Your family didn’t look out for each other, feel close to each other, or support each other?

Yes    No                                                If yes enter 1 ________

  1. Did you often or very often feel that you didn’t have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, and had no one to protect you? Or Your parents were too drunk or high to take care of you or take you to the doctor if you needed it?

Yes  No                                                 If yes enter 1 ________

  1. Were your parents ever separated or divorced?

Yes No                                                If yes enter 1 ________

  1. Was your mother or stepmother: Often or very often pushed, grabbed, slapped, or had something thrown at her? Or Sometimes, often, or very often kicked, bitten, hit with a fist, or hit with something hard? Or Ever repeatedly hit at least a few minutes or threatened with a gun or knife?

Yes No                                                If yes enter 1 ________

  1. Did you live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic or who used street drugs?

Yes  No                                                If yes enter 1 ________

  1. Was a household member depressed or mentally ill, or did a household member attempt suicide?

Yes No                                                  If yes enter 1 ________

  1. Did a household member go to prison?

Yes  No                                                If yes enter 1 ________

 

Now add up your “Yes” answers: ______ This is your ACE Score.

To learn more about the Ace Study go to www.acestudy.org