International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

ISTSS is concerned about the impact of removal of immigrant and asylum-seeking children from their parents and caregivers, as has been the recent practice and policy in the U.S. Decades of research and clinical knowledge have repeatedly demonstrated that the relationship with a parent or primary caregiver is critical to a child’s sense of self, safety, and trust. Separation from caregivers during stressful and traumatic situations can cause irreparable harm in itself and often has longstanding and severe effects on children.

Childhood physical and/or sexual abuse—something more than 100,000 youth in the United States have experienced—has been observed to detrimentally impact youth across biological, psychological, and social domains, and may lead to posttraumatic stress and trauma

Toxic stress resulting from chronic exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including trauma exposure, parent mental health problems, and family dysfunction, can lead to numerous health, social, and behavioral problems throughout the lifespan (Anda et al., 2006).