Prevalence of Early Childhood Trauma
Because early childhood trauma covers a broad and diverse range of experiences, global prevalence rates are difficult to find. However, we can piece together the picture of early childhood trauma in the United States from a variety of sources and studies.
Use the arrows on the right or left of the screen to review several prevalence statistics on early childhood trauma.
Race and Trauma
Not all children experience trauma at equal rates. Systemic racism in all facets of society and public policy plays a large role in the ways trauma affects children of color more than their white peers. The CDC's study of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) highlights the pervasive challenges children face and the ways in which it can affect children physically and psychologically throughout the lifespan.⁶
Black Youth
Hispanic Youth
White Non-Hispanic Youth
Asian Non-Hispanic Youth
SES and Trauma
Socioeconomic status (SES) and trauma are inextricably linked, as there is a dose response relationship between the two, meaning that as SES decreases, traumatic exposure increases. This increased risk for trauma exposure is widespread and it includes factors like...
- increased risk of interpersonal violence
- increased risk of natural disasters based on geographic location of residences and physical state of housing
- increased risk of firearm injury or death
- increased risk of experiencing trauma in childhood, which in turn increases risk of developing PTSD
- increased risk of other types of discrimination such as sexism and racism
- decreased availability of resources to support recovery after a traumatic event (e.g. time off work, insurance, transportation)
Often trauma can leave a family with additional financial, emotional, and familial pressures, which can worsen levels of poverty, creating a cyclical effect of poverty and trauma.⁷
Limitations of Findings on Prevalence
Rates of early childhood trauma are likely severely underreported because young children often cannot communicate their distress and do not know who it is safe to tell. Parents or family members who may witness child maltreatment may not come forward due to legal and custody consequences. Additionally, when institutions within the community such as early childhood education centers are not carefully trained in identifying trauma in young children, it is often not recognized or addressed.⁸