New research reveals that the prevalence of adverse and positive childhood experiences reported by parents of teenagers in the United States has remained largely unchanged in recent years. This study, published in JAMA Pediatrics on October 20, 2025, suggests that national interventions aimed at enhancing positive family experiences and protecting children from negative ones may not be as effective as intended.
The comprehensive study analyzed data from a large national survey, examining 11 adverse and seven positive childhood experiences as reported by parents of adolescents from 2016 to 2023. Adverse experiences included parental divorce, death or incarceration, witnessing violence, and facing discrimination. Positive experiences were identified as being mentored by an adult, family resilience, participation in organized activities, and neighborhood safety and support.
Insights from the Research
Senior author Susie Breitenstein, a professor of nursing at The Ohio State University, emphasized the importance of early intervention in parenting to reduce adverse childhood experiences and increase positive ones. “I think at a local level we have had some success, but at a national level it doesn’t seem like we’ve really moved the needle a lot on some of these experiences,” Breitenstein noted. “This was kind of surprising to us.”
The research, conducted by The Ohio State team, aimed to describe the percentage of teens experiencing specific adverse and positive childhood experiences, assessing changes over an eight-year period that included the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Data was collected from 125,564 adolescents aged 12 to 17 through the National Survey of Children’s Health.
“We predicted that we might see pretty dramatic changes in direction around 2020 or 2021. And one of the surprising things we found was that, with a couple of exceptions that make a lot of sense, things were actually pretty stable,” said co-author Nathan Helsabeck, lead statistician and research assistant professor of nursing at Ohio State.
Stability Amidst Economic and Social Changes
While the study found stability in many areas, there were notable exceptions. Economic hardship, a significant adverse childhood experience, decreased by about 25% from 2016 to 2023. Meanwhile, racial discrimination, another adverse experience, increased by approximately 6% overall. The most common adverse experience was having divorced parents, affecting at least 30% of teens, though this declined slightly by about 1% during the study period.
On a positive note, the research highlighted that positive childhood experiences were more prevalent than adverse ones. These positive experiences were reported by between 40% and 90% of parents, compared to fewer than 35% of adolescents experiencing negative events.
Implications for Policy and Future Research
Adverse childhood experiences have long influenced policy discussions, but there is growing interest in the potential of positive experiences to buffer against negative outcomes. Breitenstein emphasized the complex dynamics across family, community, and society that impact childhood experiences. “In our work, we constantly talk about strength-based approaches and the importance of propping those up,” she said. “Because sometimes you can’t avoid these adverse experiences, especially when we talk about something like divorce.”
The study provides a clear baseline for future research and policy development. Helsabeck remarked, “This is a really clear, straightforward baseline that other researchers or policymakers could use to build a case for an intervention or other work.”
Breitenstein and her colleagues plan to use the data to enhance resources supporting children, particularly those experiencing homelessness and psychiatric treatment. “We know these things matter, so we’ll use the data to shore up the resources we can to help support others,” she stated.
Support and Future Directions
This research was supported by the Ohio State College of Nursing Martha S. Pitzer Center for Women, Children and Youth, the National Institute of Nursing Research, and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. First author Jack Krupa, who led the research project, is now a PhD student at the University of Illinois Chicago, having worked in Breitenstein’s lab through the Discovery Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program.
Additional co-authors from Ohio State include Jodi Ford, Kayla Herbell, Margaret Fitzpatrick, Lia Pinkus, Stephanie Hosley, and Barbara Warren. Their collective efforts underscore the importance of continued research and intervention to improve childhood experiences across the United States.
