Some children grow up in a supportive happy environment, where positive relationships

can make them feel safe.

Others grow up facing difficulties which can have a long lasting, negative impact,

even affecting what kind of adult they'll become and what health conditions they'll

have in the future.

These stressful events in childhood are called Adverse Childhood Experiences known as ACEs

ACEs was first identified in America after a study found that as the number of

stressful events as a child increased, so did the risk of experiencing a range of

health conditions when you're a grown up.

These stressful experiences in childhood include; different forms of abuse,

physical or emotional neglect, and things that can happen to your family,

like domestic violence, adults with alcohol or drug problems,

parents splitting up having a mum or dad with a mental illness

or having someone from the house in prison But how does this affect me when I grow up?

Well, the more ACES I have now, the more risk I'll be affected when I'm an adult.

If I have 4 or more ACEs, I'm more likely as an adult to

suffer from heart disease develop type 2 diabetes be in prison have

committed violence or do things that are bad for my health, like

smoking drinking and taking drugs There are also other things which can have

similar long-lasting effects on my health -

such as bullying losing a parent not having a home and being poor

In Scotland, 260,000 children are living in relative poverty and out of those, 7 out of

10 children living in poverty are in families where at least one adult is working.

If you're a grown-up, not all work is good for your health! and being in work doesn't

always mean you're not poor.

A study in England found that people who have experienced 4 or more ACEs were 3 times more

likely to live in the most deprived areas.

So, inequalities matter!

Please help me and others like me.

There are things you can do to help prevent ACES:

Talk about them.

The more people know about ACEs, the more they can think about them in everything they

do If you work with children, have a think about

whether they are experiencing an ACE and what impact it might have on them.

Chances are you might have experienced an ACE.

Maybe more than one What impact has it had on your life?

Was there anyone you could speak to about it?

Research has said that having an adult that you can trust and speak to could help stop

the negative effects of ACEs.

If you work with grown-ups in services such as homelessness, addiction or prison services,

think about the impact of ACES on them and what impact it might have on their children

or kids they might have in the future.

If you work in a school, think about how your work can help support children experiencing

ACEs and what can be done to prevent them.

Are there other people outside your own work that can help us combat ACEs?

Can you work with other people to help prevent them?

Please help Scotland be the best place to grow up!

People like me, shouldn't have to suffer!

So, what are you going to do about it?