PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Oct. 10, 2023) – The Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center at Prairie View A&M University recently convened a significant panel discussion titled “Living Beyond Childhood Trauma and Incarceration.” This event focused on critical issues surrounding childhood trauma, incarceration and the path to healing.

The Panelists

The panel featured distinguished guests with diverse backgrounds and expertise, each offering unique insights into this essential conversation:

  • David Garlock: A formerly incarcerated criminal justice reform advocate and re-entry expert
  • Nicolle Stephens: Founder and CEO of Resuscitate Inc., a non-profit dedicated to empowering youth and adults in the prevention of child sexual abuse
  • Sara Steele, Ph.D.: Assistant Professor at the College of Juvenile Justice, PVAMU
  • Mary Mamou: Co-founder of P.A.T.E.S, an organization committed to educating youth and adults about sexual assault prevention

Dr. Camille Gibson, interim dean of the College of Juvenile Justice and executive director of the Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center, served as the panel moderator.

The Impact of Trauma

“The goal of the panel is to understand the impact of chronic and acute trauma on children and what can potentially happen when we adults fall short in recognizing the signs or preparing our youngsters for the risk of harm and the trauma that can occur,” said Dr. Gibson.

According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some form of trauma at least once in their lives. “That’s over 200 million of the 300 million people in the United States,” Dr. Gibson said.

She also highlighted that 35% of urban youth experience traumatic stress disorder responses due to exposure to violence, which can ultimately lead to incarceration.

The National Institutes of Health states that exposure to childhood trauma increases the risk of psychopathy in adulthood. Dr. Gibson defined psychopathy as a lack of empathy leading to people hurting others.

“Those who have experienced sexual trauma are twice as likely to be depressed and one-and-a-half times more likely to suffer from anxiety and engage with substances,” she added.

An Ounce of Prevention

Stephens emphasized that while investments in resources for intervention and healing are abundant, there is a pressing need for investment in prevention. She pointed out that most resources are reactive rather than proactive.

“I believe that we need to address the generational cycles of trauma and engage in these conversations,” said Stephens. “If we don’t talk about it, we won’t take any action. There should be a requirement for anyone in any youth-serving organization to be trauma-informed and trained.”

Stephens stressed that early trauma can lead children to act out, underlining the importance of communication in preventing this cycle of abuse. She stated, “Talking with these kids and helping them heal, letting them know that it’s not their fault this happened to them, is crucial.”

Failure to engage in such communication increases the risk that the child may grow up to commit violent crimes or perpetuate abuse onto others, including their own children.

Garlock, who was first molested by a non-family member at the age of 11, summed up the concept of cyclical abuse for the audience.

“Hurt people hurt people,” he said, “but helped people help people, and healed people heal people.”

PVAMU’s Commitment

“We are grateful for the opportunity to host this event and address the critical topic of childhood trauma and its implications, particularly in the context of incarceration,” said Dr. Gibson.

This event underscores PVAMU’s commitment to addressing critical community issues, particularly those related to childhood trauma and experiences of incarceration. The University invited all interested individuals to participate in this enlightening panel discussion to promote understanding, healing and resilience in the face of adversity.

The Event

The panel discussion took place at the Don Clark Auditorium at PVAMU’s College of Juvenile Justice on Oct. 2. For those unable to attend in person, the event was live-streamed on PVAMU’s official YouTube channel.

Additional Resources

The National Center for Victims of Crime has created a one-page resource sheet titled “Tips for Talking to Children About Child Abuse,” available online for free.

For individuals in need of help or assistance for themselves or a household member, PVAMU’s Mental Health, Emergency, and Crisis Counseling Resources page provides information on accessing immediate professional assistance.

By Kerry Laird

-PVAMU-