Page 20 - 2024_AMIkids Annual Impact Report

TRAUMA HISTORY ACES SCORES FOR YOUTH SERVED IN 2024

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) refer to traumatic events
that children may face, such as abuse, neglect, household
or community violence, caregiver mental illness, or racism.
Experiencing multiple ACEs can lead to chronic stress, causing
long-term harm to both the body and brain. Research shows a
strong correlation between ACEs and poor outcomes later in life .
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Supportive interventions like therapeutic care, trauma-responsive
strategies, and positive relationships help mitigate these effects
and help youth develop life skills to overcome adversity. Score of 0 (20%) Score of 1-2 (46%) Score of 3+ (34%)
AMIkids has committed to moving beyond trauma-informed care
by training staff to be trauma-responsive. The ACEs assessment TYPES OF TRAUMA SELF-REPORTED BY YOUTH
is administered to all youth to identify those needing additional
support due to a history of trauma . Separated/Divorced 62%
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Parents or Guardians
A majority of youth entering AMIkids programs have experienced
Incarcerated
trauma, with 80.2% reporting at least one ACE and more than a Family Member 39%
third (34.3%) reporting three or more—three times higher than
the national rate of 11% . Research shows that of youth with a Physical Abuse 18%
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score of three or more, over 40% demonstrate negative behaviors
and have low engagement in school . If unaddressed, adults with
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three or more ACEs are more likely to experience health issues Emotional Neglect 14%
like depression, substance use disorders, and obesity .
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Family Member with a 19%
Among AMIkids youth, the most common ACEs relate to Diagnosed Mental Illness
relationship loss. Approximately 62% of youth reported their
parents or guardians were separated or divorced, and 39% Sexual Abuse 7%
reported living with a family member who had been incarcerated.
These experiences emphasize the importance of supportive Verbal or Emotional 20%
relationships for positive youth development. To foster this, Abuse
AMIkids’ PGM promotes a positive learning environment through Witness Physical
peer-to-peer and youth-adult bonding. When youth build trusting Abuse or Threats 20%
relationships with staff and others, they experience increases in
academic motivation, self-confidence, life skills, and leadership Physical Neglect 10%
skills —all associated with long-term success.
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Family Member with 21%
Substance Abuse

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