Adverse Childhood Experiences and Career-Related Issues among Licensed Social Workers: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Studies of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have found that childhood maltreatment can have a negative impact during adulthood. Little is known about ACEs among social workers and how these experiences impact their work. This paper presents qualitative data collected from a convenience sample of 1,828 licensed social workers from 13 states exploring the ways in which their ACEs, as reflected by their responses to the ACE inventory, influenced their decisions to become social workers and affected their work. Respondents indicated that their ACEs created interest in exploring their own and their clients’ family dynamics, helping others, engaging in their own therapy, understanding clients’ experiences, advocating for change, and seeking supervision, among other themes. Implications for social work education and practice are discussed.