The current administration’s policy of separating families at the border is CHILD ABUSE and must be stopped immediately.
When young children are separated from their parents under duress, they lose their sense of safety and security, and will experience extreme stress which can lead to anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other stress-induced mental health problems that may impact them for the rest of their lives. The trauma of separation from parents may be compounded for these children by the stresses of being held in facilities that lack quality trauma-informed care, or by being moved from one facility to another. We have a wealth of research the shows children who experience prolonged states of extreme duress, or TOXIC STRESS, (prolonged activation of the body/brain stress response systems) will experience disruptions in the development of their brain and bodily organ systems, increasing the risk for a host of diseases and impairments. Particularly for young children, these forced separations and related traumatic experiences will have life-long consequences for them, and ultimately for all of us.
There can be no justification for deliberately abusing children.
To TAKE ACTION, contact your representatives and/or: