Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE): Theory, Policy and Practice

Since the mid-1990s, there has been an increasing international academic and policy interest in better identifying and responding early to risk factors in childhood and adolescence as a means to mitigate against problems in later life. In policy and practice, prevention is now commonplace across health, education and welfare services, much of it focused on individual behavioural modification and early intervention programmes. These approaches are often underpinned by academic work that favours longitudinal and cohort studies, together with a predisposition to the ‘what works’ potential of clinical trials work.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) offers one such example where early childhood trauma is linked to negative outcomes on a range of indicators in adulthood spanning health, crime, relationships, education and employment: As Bellis et al (2013: 81) note:

“Exposure [to identified] ACEs has been associated with poor health outcomes including substance use, mental ill-health, obesity, heart disease and cancer, as well as unemployment and continued involvement in violence…[and] the impact of ACEs appears to be cumulative, with risks of poor outcomes increasing with the number of ACEs suffered.”

Having gained significant ground in the USA, where much of the underpinning research originates, there is now international interest in its deployment.

The economic, social and moral case for early intervention is compelling, especially when set against the costs of late intervention. Yet such approaches are not uncontentious, raising significant ethical and methodological questions. Too often, much needed debate is dampened by the overwhelming need to do something in the context of significant pressures on frontline services that engage with children, young people and families at risk.

This international conference aims to:

• Encourage and expand debate about the theoretical, ethical and methodological issues related to the use of ACE in work with children, young people and families.
• Review research and evaluative evidence that considers the positive use and impact of ACE.
• Consider the challenges of using ACE for policy makers and practitioners.
• Encourage dialogue between academics, policy makers and practitioners, and identify new research questions.
• Invite participants to consider alternative approaches to understanding risk and resilience in a community context.
• Consider ACE in the wider context of knowledge around risk and resilience, from multi-disciplinary perspectives.

The conference is inter-disciplinary and international in scope, open to academics, policy makers, practitioners and other interested stakeholders.

Conference speakers

Speakers will include:

Professor Michael M. Merzenich
Professor Emeritus, University of California San Francisco and Creator of Brain HQ

Dr Pippa Rowcliffe
Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, Canada

Matt Buttery
Chief Executive Officer, Triple P (Positive Parenting Programme) UK

Professor Sue White
Professor of Social Work, University of Sheffield

Professor Alan Lucas
University College London

Janine Roderick
Lead for Public Health and Policing, Public Health Wales

Dr Warren Larkin
Clinical Lead for Department of Health Adverse Childhood Experiences Programme

More speakers to be announced.

Call for papers

Download the call for papers

We now invite submissions for the presentation of papers, discussion or seminar panels, practitioner focused workshops or posters. We would welcome submissions that address the aims of the conference.

Submissions might include a focus on:

• Presenting findings from research or evaluation studies into the use and / or impact of ACE.
• Insights from theoretical, ethical or moral considerations into ACE and other early intervention measures.
• Experiences of using ACE and / or similar approaches in practice.
• Alternative models that challenge dominant risk-based approaches.
• Social or personal issues that have been overlooked by ACE and other risk-based approaches.

Formats

• Papers should be planned for an oral presentation of 20 minutes and will be delivered in parallel sessions with time for questions and discussion.
• Panels should be planned for one hour, with a focus on a theme related to the conference aims, drawing on different speakers and where possible, engaging the audience.  We would particularly welcome panels that attempt to bridge academic research, policy and practice.
• Workshops, of an hour in length, will be primarily aimed at practitioners attending the conference and should focus on practice issues or development.
• Posters will be on display in the exhibition space throughout the conference with a dedicated session for presenters to discuss their work with conference participants.
• Other formats – ideas for other formats are welcome, please do get in touch with any ideas.

To submit your abstract / proposal, please complete our online form at  by Friday 27 July 2018. We’ll endeavour to notify you on or before Friday 17 August if your submission has been successful.

Outputs

The conference team will be producing a website, live blog and social media feeds throughout the conference. Presenters will be asked to share their materials on this dedicated web space and may be invited to produce a guest blog or media interview during or after the event. We are also considering plans to submit a proposal for a special edition journal on ACE, further details of which will be sent to successful presenters. We are keen for this conference to spur action in research, policy and practice and have timetabled facilitated action workshops throughout the conference to enable cross-disciplinary and cross-interest discussions to occur. In addition to any new project ideas that arise, these workshops will be documented and disseminated.

Day one – Thursday 22 November 2018

Day two – Friday 23 November 2018

The cost for attending the conference is £275 for two days, which covers attendance, refreshments, lunch, a conference dinner and a conference pack.

A small number of bursaries offering a substantial discount will be offered to postgraduate research students who present at the conference.

Presenters will be required to book their place by the end of September to secure their inclusion in the conference programme.