Policy Statement on Preventing Re-Traumatization of Immigrant Youth in America
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) recognizes that many children and adolescents in the United States have experienced significant trauma, both domestically and internationally. Exposure to violence, instability, and forced displacement affects children’s mental health and development resulting in anxiety, post-traumatic stress, mood, and psychotic disorders. For some youth, encounters with public systems, including immigration enforcement, act as trauma reminders and undermine a sense of safety, belonging and trust.
Certain immigration enforcement practices, including the use of face coverings, limited visible identification, prominently displayed tactical weapons, and separation of children from their families, increase fear and contribute to avoidance of vital healthcare services, which can exacerbate or precipitate psychological distress and potential mental illness. These experiences also affect American-born children in immigrant communities, who experience enforcement activity as a form of shared threat and community violence. Perceived militarization of public-facing government activity erodes trust and disrupts engagement with essential systems of care.
AACAP affirms that transparency, dignity and de-escalation, protect the mental health of children and families. Policies and practices must reduce fear, support safety, and minimize the risk of re-traumatization.
AACAP supports trauma-informed practices across health care settings that:
- Clearly display agency affiliation and individual identification
- Maintain visibility of faces to allow verification of identity
- Avoid carrying lethal weapons during routine, non-emergent interactions when possible
- Receive enhanced training in de-escalation and child- and family-sensitive communication
- Apply trauma-informed principles when engaging with children, families, and communities, including minimizing intimidation cues and prioritizing calm, clear communication and keeping the family units intact
AACAP encourages policies and practices that promote safe, respectful interactions with children and families and support access to healthcare without fear.