Definition: Estimated percentage of children ages 12-17 with and without exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as of their current age, by income level (e.g., in 2024, among California youth ages 12-17 living below their federal poverty threshold, 38.6% had at least one ACE).
Data Source: Has had adverse childhood experiences - Teen: The California Health Interview Survey, 2022-2024. Tabulation by the California Dept. of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (Jun. 2026).
Footnote: The federal poverty threshold was $31,812 for a family of two adults and two children in 2024. This indicator reports on exposure to five adverse childhood experiences from birth to the time of survey: (1) parent or guardian got divorced or separated; (2) parent or guardian served time in jail or prison; (3) witnessed domestic violence (seen or heard parents, guardians, or other adults in the home slapping, hitting, kicking, punching, or beating each other up); (4) household member was mentally ill, suicidal, or severely depressed for more than a couple of weeks; (5) household member abused alcohol or drugs. These estimates are based on a survey of the population and are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. Use data with caution: Estimates are statistically stable within a 30% coefficient of variation but may not meet kidsdata.org's standards for reliability based on margin of error (MOE), which require MOEs of no greater than five (or ten) percentage points at the 95% (or 90%) confidence level. For more information, visit the California Health Interview Survey.
