Adverse Childhood Experiences

FOR USERS AGE 13-19

In Crossroads: Decisions (for players 13-19) we collect responses to ten questions which address the following types of adverse childhood events.

  • Psychological child abuse
  • Physical child abuse
  • Sexual abuse of child
  • Substance abuse by family member
  • Mother treated violently in the home
  • Family member with mental illness
  • Family member imprisoned

“Persons who had experienced four or more categories of childhood exposure, compared to those who had experienced none, had 4- to 12-fold increased health risks for alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, and suicide attempt; a 2- to 4-fold increase in smoking, poor self-rated health, ≥50 sexual intercourse partners, and sexually transmitted disease; and a 1.4- to 1.6-fold increase in physical inactivity and severe obesity.”

Felliti et al. (1998) p. 245

Felitti, Vincent J; Anda, Robert F; et al. (May 1998). “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study”. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 14 (4): 245–258. 

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON RELIABILITY AND PREDICTIVE VALUE OF ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES?

Pinto, R., Correia, L., & Maia, Â. (2014). Assessing the reliability of retrospective reports of adverse childhood experiences among adolescents with documented childhood maltreatment. Journal of Family Violence, 29(4), 431-438.

Anxiety

Crossroads: Decisions (for players 13-19) includes a 13-item measure of generalized anxiety. Data collected measure both physical, e.g., “My mouth was really dry” and emotional, e.g., “I felt scared for no good reason”, symptoms experienced over the previous week.

Scores range from 0(=no symptoms of anxiety) to 39(= high symptoms of generalized anxiety).

Depression : What we collect and how

You are meeting with a family, adolescent or young adult for the first time. You want to establish rapport. But first, you need them to fill out this stack of papers. Sound familiar? What else can you do? You are required to have assessment data and it really can give you important information about a person.

FOR USERS AGE 9-13

In Crossroads: Choices (for players age 9-13) we collect the Center for Epidemiologic Studies – Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). The CES-DC is a twenty-item scale used extensively for assessment of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents (Weissman et al. ,1980) was integrated into the game. The player, now employed as a junior counselor, completes the form in an effort to convince a client, Jessie, that it’s not too difficult. Upon completion, the player receives a “salary” to spend in the virtual store.

FOR USERS AGE 13-19

In Crossroads: Decisions (for players 13-19) we collect the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD), a twenty-item measure used for assessment of depressive symptoms in adolescents and adults.

Locus of Control

Crossroads: Decisions (for players 13-19) includes a 16-item measure of Locus of Control. Items are both positively and negatively worded. Reverse coding is embedded in the software, such that responses can be summed for a total score.

Sample item: “When I succeed, it’s because I’m smart and I have a lot of skills.”

Scores range from 0(=extreme internal locus of control) to 39(=extreme external locus of control).