Adverse Childhood Experiences and Self-Esteem among College Students: A Descriptive Correlational Study

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction that may extend beyond childhood and remain relevant to psychological functioning during young adulthood. This study examined the prevalence and distribution of ACEs, the levels of self-esteem, and the association between ACE score categories and self-esteem among college students. A cross-sectional, non-experimental design was used with 1,015 college students from the selected university. Data were collected using the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Questionnaire and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory–Adult Version (CSEI). Frequencies and percentages were used to describe ACE exposure and self-esteem levels, while the Chi-Square Test of Independence was used to examine their association. Emotional abuse was the most frequently reported ACE (41.1%), followed by physical abuse (27.7%) and emotional neglect (24.9%). Most participants reported three or fewer ACEs (77.2%), while 22.8% reported four or more. In terms of self-esteem, 64.8% of the participants were classified at the medium level, 30.8% at the low level, and 4.3% at the high level. The analysis showed a statistically significant association between ACE score category and self-esteem level, χ²(2, N = 1,015) = 22.501, p < .001. The finding indicates that self-esteem levels were distributed differently across ACE score categories; however, the observed distribution did not indicate a simple pattern in which greater ACE exposure was associated with lower self-esteem. The findings underscore the relevance of examining childhood adversity alongside self-esteem among college students while recognizing that the cross-sectional design does not permit causal interpretation.