Reps. Upchurch and West announce legislation declaring a state of emergency on childhood trauma

COLUMBUS – State Reps. Thomas West (D-Canton) and Terrence Upchurch (D-Cleveland) today unveiled a concurrent resolution to declare a state of emergency on childhood trauma in Ohio.

“Most do not realize the staggering levels at which our children are experiencing and being impacted by trauma in the home, the classroom and the community. Trauma irreparably harms their long-term health,” said West. “It is long past time that we generate awareness of this grave issue and confront it head-on.”

“This resolution will be the first step in a collaborative effort to address the crisis of childhood trauma, not only just in African American communities, but also other marginalized communities as well,” said Upchurch.

According to the 2017-2018 National Survey of Children’s Health, more than 400,000 Ohio children reported having two or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are defined as stressful or traumatic events that occur during childhood, including divorce, death of a parent, jail time for a parent, violence in the home or community or substance abuse in the home or community. The American Psychological Association has also found that racism and poverty are both contributing factors to trauma.

ACEs are strongly related to a wide range of serious health problems, including obesity, heart disease or substance abuse.

The concurrent resolution currently awaits official introduction and referral to a House committee.

The press conference can be watched here.