Kaiser’s ACES study on the CDC website) describes outcomes for children of these courts who experienced significant Adverse Childhood Experiences.  Substance abuse, parental alienation, isolation, loneliness, poverty, homelessness, etc. We have a created a society of adults who were damaged as children by our own “family” court systems and now we are in the third and fourth generations of victims of these court systems. The organization that told us “children are resilient”, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts also told us that we shouldn’t be concerned about separating a child from his/her primary caregiver. These AFCC “professionals” now get to treat the broken and lost adults whom they harmed  as children AND make even more profit off of the damage they created. Parents need jury trial rights to #ResolveConflictQuickly and we need to stop AFCC members from profiting off of breaking up our families #StopUGI

Why do adverse childhood experiences have such a damaging effect on society?

Divorce introduces intense feelings of uncertainty, insecurity, and self doubt.  Especially for divorces that happen early on in a child’s life.

Dependency courts can cause an intense environment of chronic stress when children are separated from a primary caregiver

Divorce and Dependency courts often are the reason why sibling relationships fail. These courts introduce anger, bitterness, fighting, blame that oftentimes never dissipates, even long after siblings become adults

Divorce and Dependency courts can have a generational strain on the economic resources of both parents but also on the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren

Divorce and Dependency courts separate the child, not only from siblings, but also extended family members who are oftentimes no longer allowed to be the child’s loving and stable influence

Divorce and Dependency courts expose young children to a close intimate relationship with teenagers and adults who don’t love them; greatly increasing their risk of physical or sexual abuse

Dependency courts especially cause poor performance or declining grades in school largely due to a child’s inability to focus on school in the midst of not knowing what will happen to them once they step off of a school campus

Divorce and Dependency courts cause behavioral problems, depression, apathy, uncooperative attitudes, isolation, low self-esteem, irrational fears or maybe they are actually rational fears, regression back to earlier childhood behaviors in young children.  

ACES or Adverse Childhood Experiences as a direct result of our family and dependency courts, have long-term effects on children.  They have a higher likelihood of using drugs and getting involved in criminal behavior later in life.