Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire

Educational Use Only — Not a Diagnostic Tool

The following questionnaire is based on the original Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study conducted by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente (Felitti et al., 1998). It is provided for educational and self-reflection purposes only.

This assessment is not a diagnosis, does not replace professional evaluation, and should not be used to label or define yourself or others.

ACE scores indicate exposure, not damage. They reflect risk patterns—not destiny.

Instructions

Before your 18th birthday, did any of the following occur? Answer Yes or No to each question.

For scoring purposes, each “Yes” response counts as 1 point.

Part 1: Abuse

1. Emotional Abuse

Did a parent or adult in your household often or very often:

Swear at you, insult you, put you down, or humiliate you?

Act in a way that made you afraid you might be physically hurt?

☐ Yes ☐ No

2. Physical Abuse

Did a parent or adult in your household often or very often:

Push, grab, slap, or throw something at you?

Hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured?

☐ Yes ☐ No

3. Sexual Abuse

Did an adult or person at least 5 years older than you ever:

Touch or fondle you in a sexual way?

Have you touch their body in a sexual way?

Attempt or actually have oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse with you?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Part 2: Neglect

4. Emotional Neglect

Did you often or very often feel that:

No one in your family made you feel important or special?

Your family didn’t look out for each other, feel close, or support one another?

☐ Yes ☐ No

5. Physical Neglect

Did you often or very often feel that:

You didn’t have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, or had no one to protect you?

Your parents were too intoxicated or otherwise impaired to take care of you?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Part 3: Household Challenges

6. Household Substance Use

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

☐ Yes ☐ No

7. Household Mental Illness

Did a household member:

Experience depression or mental illness?

Attempt or die by suicide?

☐ Yes ☐ No

8. Domestic Violence

Did your mother or stepmother:

Experience physical violence from a partner?

☐ Yes ☐ No

9. Parental Separation or Divorce

Were your parents ever separated or divorced?

☐ Yes ☐ No

10. Incarcerated Household Member

Did a household member go to prison or jail?

☐ Yes ☐ No

Scoring

Add 1 point for each “Yes” response.

Your ACE Score: ____ / 10

How ACE Scores Are Commonly Interpreted (Context Matters)

• 0 – No reported ACE exposure

• 1–3 – Mild to moderate exposure

• 4 or more – Higher exposure is associated with increased health and stress-related risk on a population level

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⚠️ Important:

• ACE scores describe risk trends, not individual outcomes

• Many people with higher ACE scores live healthy, stable, meaningful lives

• Protective factors and healing experiences significantly reduce the long-term impact

A Trauma-Informed Reminder

If answering these questions brought up emotion, pause.

That response is valid.

ACE scores do not measure resilience, faith, strength, intelligence, or worth.

They simply help explain how early environments may have shaped stress responses.

Healing is possible.

And understanding is often the first step toward compassion—especially toward yourself.

References

• Felitti, V. J., et al. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

• Anda, R. F., et al. (2006). The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience.

• CDC. (2023). About Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).