Different forms of adverse and stressful exposures are highly prevalent in childhood across different societies and populations. These early life adversities (ELA) are linked to diverse health-related risks later-on. Despite the need to better understand nature and consequences of ELA, conceptualization and valid measurement of stressors and adversities are still being debated by experts in the field. To address these discussions, we need to challenge common paradigms, and to raise the bar towards more methodologically rigorous research. The debate includes two important and related issues: Is one of our most broadly used assessments, the “Childhood Trauma Questionnaire” (CTQ), still a valid and reliable measure? And, how can we better measure neglect, the most frequent but also mis-measured form of ELA?