The Wisconsin Children’s Trust Fund and the Child Abuse Prevention Fund of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin released the “Wisconsin ACE Brief: 2011 and 2012 Data”, which describes the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in Wisconsin. The brief takes an in-depth look at the correlations between ACE scores and socioeconomic status, race and healthcare coverage. The brief also includes a map of Wisconsin showing the percentage of Wisconsin residents by county who reported four or more ACEs. (The report pdf is 34 MB, so if you have a slow connection, it's probably best to look at it on the web site.)
“Adverse childhood experiences have a profound impact on the lives of our Wisconsin residents, and are the leading determinant of public health spending in our country,” said Jennifer Jones, interim executive director of the Children’s Trust Fund. “It’s imperative that we use these findings to identify policy recommendations aimed at preventing childhood adversity and mitigating the negative outcomes associated with these adversities. It is not only the socially responsible thing to do, it’s fiscally responsible as well.”
The 2011-2012 Data Brief updates the original report “Adverse Childhood Experiences in Wisconsin: Findings from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey” (also available on the web site) and highlights the new data from the 2011 and 2012 surveys.
The new findings show that ACEs are common among Wisconsin residents, with 58% of the adult population having experienced at least one ACE. Additionally, the data found that individuals on BadgerCare or without health insurance are more than twice as likely to have experienced four or more ACEs. African-Americans were more than twice as likely as whites to report four or more ACEs. Thirteen of Wisconsin’s 72 counties have more than 20% of their residents with ACE scores of four or more.
“Wisconsin’s ACE data tells us where we need to provide resources or re-target resources so we can do two things.” said Jennifer Hammel, director of the Child Abuse Prevention Fund. “First, prevent and/or reduce the instances that children are exposed to adverse childhood events. And second, begin to intervene with adults so that they can both heal from their adverse childhood experiences and understand what they can do to keep their children from experiencing adverse events.”
Adverse childhood experiences are defined as traumatic experiences prior to the age of 18. ACEs include: physical emotional, and sexual abuse; an alcohol or drug abuser in the household; an incarcerated household member; a household member who was chronically depressed, mentally ill, institutionalized, or suicidal; violence between adults in the home; and parental separation or divorce.
The original ACE Study, conducted from 1995-1997 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente’s Health Appraisal Clinic in San Diego was the first study of its kind to confirm the correlation between ACEs and negative adult health outcomes, including some of the leading causes of death in the United States.
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System is a state-based system of telephone (landline and cell phone numbers) surveys that collects information on health risk behaviors, prevalence of chronic diseases, use of preventative health practices, injury, and health care access. As part of the combined 2011-2012 Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, more than 10,000 randomly selected Wisconsin adults were asked about ACEs.
The Children’s Trust Fund works to promote the development of a sustainable, comprehensive prevention infrastructure that reflects research and promising practices in child abuse and neglect prevention. Through strategic partnerships and investments, CTF supports Wisconsin communities in the provision of services to prevent child abuse and neglect.
The Child Abuse Prevention Fund of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is committed to ensuring a safe environment for children through financial support of primary prevention activities throughout Wisconsin, as well as educating professionals and the public about the role of prevention in eliminating child abuse.
If you need more information, contact me, Jennifer Jones, Children’s Trust Fund, (608) 266-1281; or Jennifer Hammel, Child Abuse Prevention Fund, (414) 266-5420.
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