ACE: Children Who Experienced Sexual Abuse in South Carolina
Why This Indicator Matters
The good news is that what's predictable is preventable. The first step in preventing ACEs is understanding what they are.
Please contact mstrompolis@scchildren.org if you are interested in receiving a copy of the full data set.
Definitions:
ACE
data are collected via the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
(BRFSS) managed by the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control (DHEC). The BRFSS is a cross-sectional,
telephone-based survey of health-related risk behaviors, history of
chronic health conditions, and preventative behaviors.
Non-institutionalized adults 18 years or older are randomly selected to
take part in the survey. The survey is conducted year-round using random
digit dialing (RDD) techniques on both landlines and cell phones.
Children’s Trust collected the data through the BRFSS with funds
provided through the community-based child abuse prevention funds (2014
and 2015) and the BlueCross BlueShield Foundation of South Carolina
(2016-2018.)
Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Survey questions:
"Before you were 18 years of age, how often did anyone at least 5 years older than you or an adult . . .
. . . ever touch you sexually?" or
. . . try to make you touch them sexually?" or
. . . force you to have sex?"
Data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey Data. Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014-2016.
Footnotes: Last updated January 2018.