How do you feel watching this reunion of a mother and father with their now very distant child, after months of separation? It makes me feel ill and so empty inside.
The ACLU is spot on here. Trump jailing and separating children from their families has caused real human destruction. The consequences of this heinous act by Donald Trump and his cronies will last a lifetime for many and devastate families.
Decades of research have concluded that child separation is connected to long term trauma. According to Johanna Bick, a psychology professor who studies this subject, there is no greater threat to a child’s emotional well-being than being separated from family:
Decades of research have concluded that children traumatically separated from their parents have a high likelihood of developing emotional problems, cognitive delays and long-term trauma. More recent studies have found that separation can impair memory and normal production of cortisol, a hormone produced in response to stress.
“There is no greater threat to a child’s emotional well-being than being separated from a primary caregiver. Even if it was for a short period, for a child, that’s an eternity,” said Johanna Bick, a psychology professor at the University of Houston who studies adverse experiences in childhood.
Trump’s family separation policy has harmed thousands of families. And even though the images of children in jails have faded from public view, we can never forget what these families are still going through. Never forget.