Research highlights that children of incarcerated parents often face significant challenges (Martin, 2017). My personal journey with a recidivist father who dealt heroin— but not to use—has profoundly shaped my identity. The distress of his arrests and the stigma of being treated as a proxy criminal instilled deep feelings of shame and inadequacy within me.

As a pediatric occupational therapist, I became acutely aware of my clients' struggles, which mirrored my own childhood experiences. I connected with children who had witnessed police raids, their homes disrupted, and their parents subjected to violence. I recognized that their trauma stemmed not only from their parents' actions but also from the actions and language of law enforcement.

My experiences have underscored for me the importance of compassionate communication in law enforcement and the lasting shadow of trauma and stigma. If officers approached these situations with humanised language, we could potentially foster better outcomes for children affected by their parents' actions. In my work, I aim to support children in similar circumstances while seeking to overcome my own trauma.