ACEs policy and adults

The missing role of sexual abuse

Bibliographic Data

ID12287098
AuthorsNelson (0000-0003-4721-8712, corresponding author), Sarah Nelson (0000-0003-1891-6976)
Year2020
Volume29
Issue4
Pages529-537
Publication date2020-10-29
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScottish Affairs (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0966-0356 • E-ISSN: 2053-888X
PublisherEdinburgh University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.3366/scot.2020.0342
OpenAlexW3097559391
LanguageEN
References cited13

Traumatised adults have been rather neglected in policy on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in comparison with children. Yet the key message from the original ACE studies was the need to change the way adults with ill health are heard, understood, diagnosed and treated. Within ACEs policy, childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has also had marginal attention. This paper traces how adult survivors of CSA provided the spark for the first and subsequent ACE studies, describing the serious mental and physical health issues this trauma can bring throughout the lifecourse. It raises the possibility that some of the original ten ACEs may be more impactful to health and wellbeing over the lifecourse than others and should receive greater priority in terms of prevention and recovery. A series of questions is asked about how physical and mental health services are responding, and how they may need to be monitored in order to fully integrate the needs of CSA survivors into current Scottish ACEs policy

Adverse Childhood Experiences · Medical emergency · Mental health · Physical abuse · Physical health · Poison control · Psychiatry · Sexual abuse · Suicide prevention · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child and Adolescent Health · Clinical Psychology · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology

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