Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are experienced across generations, a study of 294 fathers aged 18 to 69 years in a Welsh prison has shown.
The fathers reported their own ACEs and those their children had been exposed to.
Children of fathers who experienced four or more ACEs (compared to children of fathers with no ACEs), were almost three times more likely to be exposed to two to three ACEs and six times more likely to be exposed to four or more.
They were also two times more likely to be exposed to domestic violence; and over seven times more likely to live in a household where someone had mental illness.
The study also found that child exposure to each individual ACE type, except sexual and physical abuse, was associated with their father having experienced the same ACE.
Professor Karen Hughes, said: ‘Our study highlights the importance of support for justice-involved families [to prevent ACEs and their harmful impacts].’
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