Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Cautions and Suggestions

Overview

Journal Child Abuse Negl

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2017 Aug 9

PMID 28784309

Citations 124

Authors

David Finkelhor

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This article argues that it is still premature to start widespread screening for adverse childhood experiences (ACE) in health care settings until we have answers to several important questions: 1) what are the effective interventions and responses we need to have in place to offer to those with positive ACE screening, 2) what are the potential negative outcomes and costs to screening that need to be buffered in any effective screening regime, and 3) what exactly should we be screening for? The article makes suggestions for needed research activities.

Citing Articles

Adverse childhood experiences screening in pediatric primary care and changes in the rate of visits to social work and behavioral health.

Negriff S, Sidell M, Barton L, DiGangi M BMC Pediatr. 2025; 25(1):104.

PMID: 39923015 PMC: 11806741. DOI: 10.1186/s12887-025-05456-4.

Caregivers' experiences of being asked about adverse childhood experiences and receiving support from an integrated health and social care hub: a qualitative study.

Kabir A, Loveday S, Hiscock H, Bosward R, Ebbett W, Liu H BMJ Open. 2025; 15(2):e086710.

PMID: 39909531 PMC: 11800215. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086710.

Adversity in Adolescence: Modeling risk for different purposes.

Cutuli J, Herbers J, Treglia D, Flatley C, Hatchimonji D Child Youth Serv Rev. 2025; 169.

PMID: 39866950 PMC: 11759495. DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.108078.

Relationships Between Recent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Somatic Symptoms in Adolescence.

Lee R, Oxford M, Sonney J, Enquobahrie D, Cato K J Child Fam Stud. 2025; 33(3):1015-1028.

PMID: 39830369 PMC: 11741541. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-024-02812-3.

Investigating the Impact of Caregiver Adverse Childhood Experiences Screening and Pediatrician-Led Discussions on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in a Majority-Hispanic Pediatric Primary Care Clinic Setting.

Bettale C, Pomales M, Boy A, Moran T, Agarwal M, Powers A Med Care. 2024; 63(1):38-42.

PMID: 39642016 PMC: 11617077. DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000002065.