Kaiser’s ACEs study (featured on the CDC website) documents the long‑term outcomes for children who experience significant Adverse Childhood Experiences—substance abuse, parental alienation, isolation, loneliness, poverty, homelessness, and more. We have created a society of adults who were harmed as children by our own family and dependency court systems. We are now in the third and fourth generations of people living with the consequences of these courts.

The same organization that once insisted “children are resilient”—the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)—also told the public not to worry about separating a child from their primary caregiver. Today, many of those same AFCC‑affiliated professionals profit again by treating the adults who were damaged as children under their influence.

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

• Divorce creates deep uncertainty and insecurity, especially when it occurs early in a child’s life.
• Dependency courts expose children to chronic stress when they are separated from a primary caregiver.
• Sibling relationships often collapse because these courts introduce anger, blame, and long‑lasting resentment.
• Generational financial strain affects parents, children, grandchildren, and even great‑grandchildren.
• Children lose contact with extended family, cutting them off from stable, loving influences.
• Young children are placed in close proximity to unrelated adults, increasing the risk of physical or sexual abuse.
• Dependency court involvement disrupts education, leading to declining grades and difficulty concentrating due to fear and instability.
• Behavioral and emotional problems escalate, including depression, isolation, low self‑esteem, regression, and both rational and irrational fears.

ACEs—when caused or worsened by family and dependency courts—have lifelong consequences. Children exposed to these experiences are far more likely to struggle with substance abuse, mental‑health challenges, and criminal behavior later in life. Parents need jury trial rights to resolve conflict quickly and AFCC members must be prevented from profiting off the breakup of American families.