CTA Speech

AGD

Monicas four children were woken up at 4:30 AM held at gunpoint and had to watch their father be stepped over. For the following 18 months their visitation was limited and they were unable to maintain a healthy relationship with their father. All four children developed PTSD.

Thesis

Children with incarcerated parents are invisible victims of the justice system. Canadian Friends Service Committee states in a 2024 article that the harmful impact of having a parent in prison does not end when you grow up, the trauma and stigma last a lifetime.

Significance Statement

over 400,000 children with incarcerated parents suffer from PTSD

Statistics

PMC Pub Med Central Article Andrea Pizza et. al states that 25% of prisoners offspring suffer from PTSD.

Preview Statement

Today we will be looking at the causes for PTSD in children with incarcerated parents, how this PTSD effects their lives, and what the can do to help these children.

Cause one: Witness of aggressive arrests

Claim:

Children witnessing aggressive arrests creates PTSD triggers in their mind

Grounds cause 1

Within the first three months of the occurrence, previously listed PMC Pub Central lists re experiencing sumptuous of the event by means of nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive memories avoidance of reminders of the event and hyperarousal symptoms.

Warrant cause one

Think back to Monicas kids, going to sleep, walking in their kitchen

Cause 2 claim:

Separation of child and parents causes abandonment issues in PTSD

Grounds cause 2:

Offspring are at higher risk of developing PTSD than those of the general population as a previously cited PMC article lists enduring loss of or separation from parents, especially when unexpected or unexplained, feelings of not being loved by the parents, changing in caregiving, and stressful visits with the incarcerated parent.

warrant cause 2

18 months after arrest Monicas children barely saw their father

Effect one: Setbacks in education

Symptoms that children with PTSD experience have a negative impact on their education. Anxiety, withdrawal, flashbacks, hyper-violence, inability to focus, depression, shame, and guilt are just a few of these symptoms that effect both their academic and social lives during their education.

Grounds:

Over 50” of children with incarcerated parents had school problems such as poor grades or instances of aggression. PTSD in children and adolescents article by Angie J. Smith in 2014 states that 70% shoed poor academic performance, 5% exhibited classroom behavior problems.

Warrant effect 1:

Class clown

Effect 2:

Struggles with emotional connection

Grounds effect 2:

Individuals who have experienced childhood trauma often develop insecure attachment styles, such as anxious or avoidant attachment, which impair their ability to trust others and express affection in adult relationships (BYU Scholars Archive The Psychological Effocts of Childhood Trauma on Adult Relationships Anna B. Dunford 2025)

Warrants

I recall my dad pouring his eyes out when he first saw me, but I was emotionally numb to react to our reunification, a moment that was supposed to be cathartic felt draining. Shahil Paul writes in a CJC article published in 2023, In years to come I always thought it was because I had matured through the struggles, but in reality, I was traumatized.

Solution One

Officers should be held accountable by law for the care of children when parents are being arrested. 

Grounds solution one

According to our survey, IACP published in a 2014 article, officers in only 13% of law enforcement agencies ask wether an arrestee has dependent children every time an arrest is made, wether or not a child is present. Officers in a majority of law enforcement agencies do not ask about an arrestees children at the scene of a crime or when making an arrest

Warrant

How Monicas kids could have been taken

Solution 2

Donate to We Got Us Now

Grounds

Our mission is to ensure that we are at the forefront of policies, practices, systems, and sectors that will help to directly improve the lives and well being of children with incarcerated parents.

Warrants solution 2

Founder Ebony Underwood’s father was sentenced to life without parol when she was 13. Only when she was an adult did she speak up about her struggles and found community and helped herself and others. We Got Us Now strives to be that community.alC

Call to action

Parents arrests are not going to stop but the suffering can.

AGD

Children with incarcerated parents are invisible vicims of the justice system. Canadian friends service committee explains that the harmful impact of a parent in prison does not end when you grow up, the trauma and stigma can last a lifetime

Today we discussed

The causes of PTSD in children with incarcerated parents, how that PTSD effects there daily lives, and what can be done to stop this occurrence 

Closing statement

Monicas four children could have woken up to their mother calmly explaining their father’s arrest. They could have maintained a relationship with him. They could have had their voices been heard. PTSD does not have to take over their lives but they need us to help them heal.