Research Symposium

BIO

Alexis is a senior in the honors program pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Clinical Professions. She is from Melbourne, Florida and aspiring to become a physician. Alexis is on the Women's Club Lacrosse team at Florida State. Alexis is currently a member of Dylann Lowery's Undergraduate research team through the Family and Marriage Therapy Program.

Breaking the Cycle: A Qualitative Study on ACEs and Co-Parenting Dynamics

Abstract

This study presents Phase 2 of an explanatory sequential mixed-methods project investigating how clinically severe Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) shape contemporary co-parenting relationships. Through purposeful subsample recruitment, we identified and interviewed 16 participants (n = 16) who reported an ACE score of 4 or higher. The final subsample was diverse, including 56% identifying as Black or African American, and represented various cohabitation and educational backgrounds.

Our research team employed a five-step inductive thematic analysis. We used In Vivo and axial coding to preserve participants’ voices while identifying core categories across the data. To ensure analytic rigor, we implemented an interactive intercoder agreement session and reflexivity memos. Within- and cross-case analyses further contextualized how individual trauma histories manifested as specific intergenerational implications.

A central theme was Intergenerational Cycle Breaking, with subthemes of The “Opposite Approach,” Redemptive Parenting, and the Impact on the Co-Parenting relationship. These preliminary findings highlight how survivors of childhood trauma and their co-parents navigate the tension between past experiences and present parenting goals. This research provides a roadmap for clinicians to support families with high ACEs better and informs family policies for the need for trauma-informed co-parenting supports. Breaking the cycle of trauma requires more than individual healing; it demands co-parenting environments that transform past trauma into relational resilience through targeted systemic support.

Keywords: Co-parenting, Adverse Childhood Experiences, trauma