This is my narrative about the weight of secrecy and silence. On my way home from school, I saw a newspaper headline on a newsstand. As I walked by, a wave of discomfort and unease came over me—an instinctive reaction I couldn’t explain. Something felt deeply wrong, but I had no words for it then. It wasn’t until 20 years later, sitting in a counselor’s office, that I finally understood why. Beneath that headline was a photo of my father and his two daughters. So much for protective denial. When I entered the apartment, my mother was waiting in the living room, holding several newspapers. Her expression was cold and…

The impact of parental incarceration on children can be profound and sometimes long-lasting. The hidden emotional struggles surrounding parental imprisonments can shape the lives of children in unexpected ways. Two critical struggles they may endure include the trauma of witnessing a parent’s arrest and the potential disruption caused by relocation. These experiences not only disrupt their sense of security but also expose them to long-term emotional and psychological strain. Research into psychological trauma highlights how subjective the perception of distressing events can be. Yet, it is widely acknowledged that parental incarceration is a significant source of stress and disruption for minor children. For them, it is not just an event—it…