On the Issues: Childhood Trauma and our Courts

Description

Deborah W. Denno, the Arthur A. McGivney Professor of Law and founding director of the Neuroscience and Law Center at Fordham University School of Law, a widely recognized teacher and scholar in the criminal law generally and in law and neuroscience, and Milwaukee County Circuit Court Deputy Chief Judge, Hon. Mary Triggiano, co-chair of the Milwaukee Model Court Collaborative Team, responsible for incorporating trauma effective practices in the Milwaukee County Court system.

Emerging research shows the effects of childhood traumas--physical and sexual abuse, neglect, exposure to violence, and poverty --heighten the likelihood that an individual will suffer from brain dysfunction, which can, in turn, be associated with disorders related to criminality and violence. So how do judicial systems incorporate the emerging scientific findings in the field of traumatic stress? How and when are indicators of childhood trauma examined in the criminal prosecution of juveniles and adults?