Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and TCKs

Fact: Toxic stress or trauma experienced as a child or adolescent are referred to as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). A person who experiences four or more ACEs before the age of 18 is at higher risk of suffering poor physical and mental health in adulthood.

Common ACEs include actual experience or fear of abuse and neglect (physical, emotional or sexual), or household dysfunctions (mental health issues, violence, substance abuse, incarceration, divorce). Added to these, TCKs may experience other challenges from frequent relocations, saying goodbyes, forming new social networks, changing schools, learning a new language, etc.

A 2021 survey by TCK Training (https://www.tcktraining.com/) found that 21% of TCKs surveyed reported experiencing four or more ACEs than in the general population (13%). But do note that this means that nearly 80% of the TCKs surveyed did not report four or more ACEs.

The three ACEs most frequently reported by TCKs were emotional abuse, emotional neglect and household adult mental illness during childhood. This is probably because parents may be less emotionally available to their children if they are themselves undergoing stress or struggling with mental health.

This doesn’t mean that TCKs will necessarily suffer in adulthood because of their international mobile lives! Many benefit greatly, and have no regrets. Research has shown that introducing six or more Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) can prevent or mitigate the negative outcomes and protect children from long-term harm, and healthy families already have these in their family life.

Understanding ACEs and PCEs is so important that I devote a whole chapter of my book Rooted, Resilient & Ready: Preparing Singaporean Third Culture Kids for Home to this topic!

* A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is someone who has spent a significant part of their childhood living outside their passport country.