The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Perceived Social Support in College Students

Abstract

There is a current lack of studies that investigate how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) predict difficulties with social competency skills. To address this, the current study analyzed how self-reported ACEs predicted six social support competencies, namely, attachment, social integration, reassurance of worth, reliable alliance, guidance, and opportunity for nurturance. College students (N = 338) were administered the ACE Questionnaire, (Felitti, et al., 1998) and the Social Provisions Scale (Cutrona & Russell, 1987). Results indicated that ACE scores significantly predicted more difficulty with overall social support skills. Results generally document the presence of a cumulative effect, that is, more ACEs are associated with more difficulty with social competencies in a non-clinical U.S. sample of college students.