Experts define many things as adverse childhood experiences. But 10 things can happen during childhood that harms physical and mental health. 

The 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences list are as follows.

1. Physical Abuse

Physical abuse is non-accidental harm. It includes injuries like bruises, lesions, or fractures. People cause these injuries by hitting, punching, kicking, shaking, beating, burning, throwing, or stabbing.

2. Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse is sexual behavior with a child or sexual exploitation of a child. This abuse also includes indecent exposure and using a child in prostitution or pornography.

3. Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is behavior that interferes with a child’s mental health. This type of abuse includes verbal abuse, mental abuse, and psychological maltreatment.

Emotional abuse can be many things, including:

  • Belittling
  • Rejecting
  • Ridiculing
  • Blaming
  • Threatening
  • Isolating
  • Restricting social interactions
  • Denying the child an emotional response
  • Purposely not talking to the child for extended periods

4. Physical Neglect

Physical neglect is failing to provide for the child’s basic needs. This neglect includes not providing food, clothing, shelter, or medical attention. It also includes a lack of supervision.

5. Emotional Neglect

Emotional neglect is the failure to meet a child’s emotional needs. Emotional neglect includes failing to provide social support or needed mental health treatment. This includes when a child’s needs are ignored. An example would be if a baby cried and no one tended to the child.

6. Mental Illness

Living with a relative with a mental health issue can have a significant impact on a child. Depending on their disorder, a parent may not take adequate care of the child. They also may fail to model appropriate behaviors for the child.

7. Incarcerated Relative

Children with an incarcerated parent may grow up primarily in a single-parent household. Having an incarcerated parent is challenging for the parent who is home and the child. The child also may have trauma or feelings of abandonment. The absent parent also may have modeled inappropriate behaviors before imprisonment.

8. Mother Treated Violently

Any violence in the home is traumatic. Witnessing violence toward the primary caregiver affects a child. This impact is because the mother typically is the primary caregiver. A child forms an attachment to her that tends to be stronger than with other family members. They rely on their mother to take care of them. Seeing her hurt, especially by another loved one, is traumatic.

9. Substance Use 

Substance use in the home can lead to a variety of unsafe conditions for the child. Parents may not take care of the child properly. There also may be other abuse and domestic violence associated with substance use.

10. Divorce

Divorce can impact children negatively. Some divorcing parents expose children to verbal or physical fighting. They also may ignore the child while working through their relationship issues. Some children feel they are to blame for the divorce.

Custody fights may make the child feel unloved or pulled in different directions. In addition, the child could learn unhealthy communication and coping skills.