Can positive experiences help break the cycle of abuse?

Our childhood experiences create ripple effects across our lives and with those whom we encounter. Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, have been linked to depression and dementia, and even to perpetuating abuse. The intergenerational transmission of abuse is well-known to affect the children of victims, and recent evidence has also connected a high number of ACEs to an increased risk of abusing elders, indicating broad impacts on later-life relationships and violent behavior.