Examining the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences Due to Discrimination on Young Children's Social-Emotional Development

Background

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) significantly impact children’s social-emotional development, increasing the risk of academic difficulties and mental health challenges. While much research focuses on ACEs related to household dysfunction and maltreatment, it often overlooks extended ACEs such as racial discrimination and discrimination due to having a disability. These experiences can influence children’s development, yet many studies lump them into composite scores rather than examine them individually. This gap is critical, as research has identified social-emotional disparities within racially minoritized children and children with disabilities. Failing to account for the effects of discrimination risks perpetuating stereotypes and misattributing challenges to a child's identity rather than the discrimination they face. To address this gap in the existing knowledge base, the current study investigates the overall impact of ACEs on children's social-emotional development, as well as the impact of experiencing racial discrimination and discrimination due to one's disability.

Methods

The current study is a secondary data analysis of the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). Focusing on a U.S. sample of children aged 3-5 (N=12,000; 52.2% male), the study uses parent-reported data on ACE-related factors. Social-emotional development is measured through parent-reported surveys assessing adaptive and maladaptive functioning, categorized into four profiles: Adaptive, Average, Moderate Need, and High Need. Multinomial regression models were used to analyze the relationship between ACEs and social-emotional development, controlling for demographics (e.g., age, gender, disability status, racial/ethnic background). The models estimated relative risk ratios (RRRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals to assess how the cumulative ACEs and different forms of discrimination, specifically racial and disability-related, were associated with social-emotional development.

Results

Findings reveal a strong association between ACE exposure and social-emotional profiles. Children exposed to higher levels of ACEs are significantly more likely to fall into the "Moderate Need" and "High Need" profiles, compared to the "Adaptive" profile. Disability status was significantly associated with higher social-emotional difficulties, with children with disabilities being 26.31 times more likely to fall into the "High Need" groups. Moreover, experiencing discrimination due to one's disability exacerbates the risk of being in the “High Need” Group. Racial/ethnic identity was not significantly associated with social-emotional profiles. However, children reported to have experienced racial discrimination were significantly more likely to be categorized as “Moderate Need” or "High Need".

Conclusion

Findings suggest that ACEs have a significant and detrimental impact on children's social-emotional development. The more ACEs a child experiences, the greater their risk of exhibiting difficulties in their social-emotional development. Findings reveal that racial discrimination significantly impacts children's needs, with disability-related discrimination having a more substantial effect than disability status itself. These findings clarify the distinct impacts of race versus racial discrimination and disability status versus discrimination due to disability. This critical distinction highlights that it is often not the identities of individuals that shape their outcomes but the discrimination they endure because of those identities. Understanding this can help us address the root causes of inequality and promote healthy social-emotional development for all children.