The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and MDC collaborated to release the most recent data on the accumulation and type of ACEs on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) in North Carolina and the South between 2016 and 2022.

• In 2022, 1 out of 5 (20%) of children experienced two or more ACEs in North Carolina. Approximately 1 in 10 (11%) of children experienced three or more ACEs in North Carolina. There are significant racial and ethnic disparities in both the type and accumulation of ACEs.
• In 2022, over 1 in 5 children experienced two or more ACEs in the South. Approximately 1 in 10 children experienced three or more ACEs in the South. There are significant racial disparities in both the type and accumulation of ACEs. While there are not major differences between the south and the U.S., there are significant differences across states.
• Research affirms the correlation between childhood adversities linked to poverty and negative outcomes in adulthood, indicating that living in poverty itself is considered an adverse childhood experience.
• There are policy and systemic reforms that can make a difference: children thrive when their families are economically secure. For example, we know that connecting families with children with more resources—refundable tax credit and other public benefits— reduces poverty.

Click here to view the ACEs in the South report.

Click here to view the ACEs in North Carolina report.