Thank you Dr. Felitti for weighing in on this discussion and for all your work in this field. What you described is exactly what I did at my community screening of "Resilience" last fall in my small suburban community just south of Buffalo, NY. With an adult audience who viewed the film first prior to calculating their ACE score, this was quite impressive. As was done in the film, we compared our collective results with the percentages found in your landmark study. Even with our attendees who were largely professionals in education, counseling, and pastoral care, our results aligned with yours. The reality that ACEs are not "out there" but among us was a significant realization by our attendees. There were several powerful moments at this event, but this "reveal" about ourselves was palpable.
For clarification, several of us in this discussion work in public schools with children under age 13, hence my response recommending careful consideration of surveying young children.
Thank you again for your research and helping us to better understand the impact of trauma. Your work is helping to make our world a better, more compassionate place for everyone.
Susan Ciminelli, Executive Director