For Immediate Release

Washington, DC, June 02, 2020 – The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) stands with the families of Mr. George Floyd, Ms. Breonna Taylor, and Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, and grieves the loss of all victims killed at the hands of police and racism.

As an organization dedicated to the health and well-being of children and families everywhere, we are committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and health equity at every turn. We recognize the impact that systemic racism has on everyone—especially youth and people of color—and the trauma and pain caused by racism and violence.
 
AACAP stands with the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and the American Association of Directors of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in their call to end police brutality and racism. We urge all professional medical organizations to unite together in this effort.
 
We also look forward to exploring how to most effectively impact system change to eliminate racism and unequal treatment from our nation, communities, and justice system. The time for change is now, and we will continue to work with our membership, patients, policies, and programs, to ensure that our collective strength is part of the solution.
 
We condemn racism. We condemn racist acts. We condemn inequality in all parts of our community.
 
We are committed to creating a just and peaceful world for our children, families, and communities.

For more information, please contact Reilly Polka, Communications Manager, AACAP, at rpolka@aacap.org, or by phone at 202.966.7300, ext. 154.

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The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry promotes the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through advocacy, education, and research. Child and adolescent psychiatrists are the leading physician authority on children’s mental health. For more information, please visit www.aacap.org