Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Our lab takes a nuanced, data-driven approach to understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Moving beyond simple cumulative scores, we examine the configuration and context of adversity. Our pioneering work on "Latent Classes and Cumulative Impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences" identifies distinct patterns of abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. We investigate the developmental cascade of trauma to understand how early life adversity differentially impacts long-term outcomes, including suicide risk among gender-diverse youth.

Core Questions We Address

• How do specific latent classes of ACEs (e.g., household dysfunction vs. physical abuse) relate to differing risks for delinquency and mental health outcomes?
• What is the cumulative impact of ACEs on long-term health, and how does this vary by race, gender, and sexual orientation?
• How do neighborhood structural factors interact with individual-level adversity to compound risk for system involvement?

Methods and Approaches

We employ advanced statistical techniques to uncover these complex relationships using large-scale datasets:

• Latent Class Analysis (LCA): Identifying subgroups of individuals with similar profiles of ACE exposure to tailor interventions.
• Growth Mixture Models: Examining the longitudinal trajectories of trauma and resilience from early childhood through adulthood.
• Parallel Process Latent Growth Curve Models: analyzing the co-development of post-traumatic stress and externalizing behaviors over time.

Select Publications

ACEs & Justice System Involvement

• Duhaney, S., Barboza-Salerno, G., & Sasser, G. (2025). Differences in adolescent sexual risk-taking profiles and sexually transmitted infections in adulthood by justice systems involvement: A multigroup latent class analysis. Discover Public Health, 22, 416. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00838-6

• Barboza-Salerno, G., Chang, Y., Stanek, C. & Thurston, H. (2024). An examination of the effect of area-level characteristics on juvenile justice and child welfare referrals using multivariate Bayesian spatial modeling. International Journal of Child Abuse and Neglect, Vol. 160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107203

ACEs & Mental Health

• Barboza-Salerno, G., Meshelemiah, J.C.A. (2023). Associations between Early Child Adversity and Lifetime Suicide Attempts among Gender Diverse Individuals: A Moderated Mediation. International Journal of Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol. 149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106705

• Barboza, G. E., & Valentine, R. (2022). A Network Analysis of Post-Traumatic Stress Among Youth Aging Out of the Foster Care System. Children and Youth Services Review, Vol. 140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106589

Foundational ACEs Research

• Barboza, G. (2017). Latent Classes and Cumulative Impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences. Child Maltreatment, Vol. 23, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559517736628

  Manuscripts Under Review

• Zhang, Y., Johnson-Motoyama, M., Yoon, S., Barboza-Salerno, G. Patterns of family harsh parenting and the effects of cumulative risks. Submitted to Child & Family Social Work.

  Related Resources

• View all publications

• GitHub Repository