There is no greater connection among people across the world than our shared humanity. We are all human beings with inherent value, immeasurable worth, and an undeniable right to live. When individuals, organizations, and governments remain silent about or actively choose to carry out and support genocide, it shows a flagrant disregard for human life. This is what we have been witnessing in Gaza since October 8, 2023.

Genocide [1] is preventable and based on dehumanization and domination. We have power together to oppose genocide and the oppressive systems of occupation and apartheid that led to it. We can and must resist complicity and inaction in the face of genocide.

In this call to action against genocide and its precursors, we – as developmental scholars with expertise in psychology, infant, child, and youth development, social work, public health, human development, family science, and more – call upon every person, especially our professional organizations, policymakers, educators, university administrators, and each other, to do everything in our power to stop the genocide of Palestinians and liberate Palestine from Israel’s occupation and imposed apartheid.

We believe Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as their families and communities, deserve to live freely and safely, with full and unencumbered access to their human rights. [2]

The Unfolding Genocide

As developmental scholars, we understand and affirm the critical role of basic human rights for all children and families. The rights to safety and protection from harm are perhaps the most essential and basic human rights. Yet, Palestinian children are being denied these rights.

Over two million indigenous Palestinians have been confined in Gaza, an area approximately 27 miles long and between 3.7 to 7.5 miles in width, by decades-long Israeli occupation, apartheid conditions, and 17 years of military siege. [3] Since October 8, infants, children, and families in Gaza have been killed and brutally maimed, traumatized, orphaned, and starved. Every day, they face an existential threat.

The scale of mass murder of Palestinians and the scope of destruction of Gaza within such a short period of time is unprecedented in recent history. [4] At the end of October 2023, the UN Secretary described Gaza as “a graveyard for children” with over 3,450 children killed in three weeks. [5] By November 2023, over 16,000 Palestinians were killed, thousands were missing under rubble and presumed dead, and an estimated 1.7 million Palestinians were displaced in what experts described as the most intense military bombings since World War II. [6] By December 2023, 8 in 10 Palestinians in Gaza were homeless. [7] By April, an estimated 26,000 children in Gaza had been killed or injured [8] and 19,000 children were orphaned. [9] This same month, 62% of all homes and housing in all of Gaza were rendered uninhabitable. [10] To date (July 2024), over 37,000 Palestinians, including entire families, have been killed [11] and thousands more have “life-changing mutilations.”[12]

In addition to the killing and injury, starvation (a war crime under article 54 of The Geneva Convention) has also been well documented. [13] In October 2023, the Israeli Defense Minister ordered a complete siege and blockade of food, water, and medical supplies. [14] By January 2024, famine was occurring in parts of Gaza, [15] and by March 2024, an estimated 70% of Palestinians were forced into Integrated Food Security Phase 5 (Catastrophe) of famine in Gaza. [16] As of April 2024, Palestinians in Northern Gaza were forced into diets of 245 calories a day or less (an amount which is 12% of the recommended daily 1,200 calories per person). [17] By May 2024, at least 50,400 children under 5 in Gaza were suffering from acute malnutrition. [18]

The Israeli military has also systematically destroyed hospitals and healthcare centers making it all the more difficult to receive basic, emergency, and preventive health care. By January 2024, at least 10 children a day were having limbs amputated, most without anesthesia. [19,20,21] By May 2024, 80% of all health centers in Gaza were out of service. [22] The shortage of health care supplies and space is preventing pregnant people (over 50,000) and newborn babies (over 180) from receiving prenatal, postnatal, and emergency care every day. [23]

Doctors Without Borders warned that “thousands of lives will be lost as trauma injuries go untreated, diseases undiagnosed, and care for chronic conditions discontinued.” [24] In fact, the most recent report by the Lancet has suggested that the death toll in Gaza has been grossly underestimated, and by August 2024, the more plausible death toll will be 186,000 people. [25]

The Impact on Children and Families

This genocide continues to have unconscionable short- and long-term effects on Palestinian children and families. [24, 26] The horrific impacts caused by perpetual trauma is rooted in scholarship and scientific knowledge around the world. Sentiments here echo the concerns of colleagues who have explicitly identified this genocidal war as a brutal violation of human rights and a detrimental threat to the biopsychosocial wellbeing of families and children of all ages. [27, 28]

The children who have thus far survived the continuous threat of death by bombardment, gunfire, and starvation have had their lives irrevocably changed. [29] The extent of the noxious consequences of this extreme exposure to violence to both their physical and mental health are hard to overstate, [30,31] especially given that most of the vital support infrastructure including their health care system, food systems, schools, and religious sites have been damaged or entirely destroyed.

The scope of such intentional destruction has far-reaching effects on the biopsychosocial development of children in Gaza. The chronic distress, severe malnutrition, and trauma will directly affect the unborn babies of the estimated 50,000 pregnant people in Gaza, and the more than 180 infants born each day. [32] These heinous conditions that pregnant people try desperately to survive can cause stress hormones to pass directly to the fetus impacting their developing infant brain [33, 34].

Trauma from the catastrophic losses children and youth face including loss of parents, caregivers, family members, and friends can become biologically embedded. [35] Such significant stress and trauma throughout maturation adversely impacts brain development, learning, and emotional regulation. [36] These developmental threats can also shorten one’s lifespan as evidenced by age acceleration measurable in DNA. [37]

Trauma due to violence is a complex web involving individuals, interpersonal relationships, and the systems constituting the social domain in which a person lives. The impact of mass violence and destruction does not just last during the affected individual’s lifetime [38] but can have enduring consequences for generations [39] and within the broader society. [40] These effects have been documented among Palestinian children living under Israeli military occupation, [41] as well as other war-affected populations. [42]

Even before the current genocide in Gaza, a study of over 1,000 Palestinian children found that 41% had PTSD due to the occupation and nearly 17 years of a blockade.[43] Moreover, mass violence directly disrupts the ability of parents and other caregivers to provide adequate care for their children in times of distress, further impacting the psychosocial toll on the children. [44] Intergenerational trauma has also been found to sensitize individuals’ stress responses, thus potentially worsening the psychological impact of future traumatic events. For instance, research has shown that children whose parents survived a genocide, but who themselves were not direct survivors, experienced heightened occurrence of mental health problems and substance abuse compared to those whose parents were not subjected to genocide. [45] This trauma can be felt throughout the Palestinian diaspora, with frequent exposure to violent images and news of violence, assault, and mutilation of Palestinians. [43]

Trauma responses are also evident among Israelis' responses to Hamas' brutal attack on October 7, 2023. And, we oppose the myth that genocide could be justified in response to any attack no matter how brutal. The current genocide is incongruous with trauma-informed approaches which strive towards reparation rather than more harm.

Calls to Action

The suffering and its impacts are collective; therefore we must do everything in our collective power to stop it.

U.S. Policy Makers:

The U.S. Congress and President Biden should take meaningful action to end the genocide in Gaza. U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen negotiated with the Biden Administration to implement a national security memorandum that would require nations that receive arms from the U.S. to comply with international law and support (or not arbitrarily interfere with) U.S. humanitarian efforts in conflict zones. [46] Recent decisions from the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice suggest that Israel is in violation of this memorandum. Thus, the U.S. government should halt weapons sales and transfers to Israel. The U.S. government also must stop using government funding (accrued from U.S. taxpayers) to fund Israel’s genocide in Gaza [47] and invest in life-saving aid, water, food, fuel, healthcare, social services, mental health, infrastructure, education, reconstruction, human rights and liberation.

Professional Organizations/Societies that Support the Study of Children, Youth, and Families:

Professional organizations that support the study of developmental science, particularly those focused on child and adolescent development, should marshal the expertise of their members to investigate the effects of current genocides on children and youths’ biopsychosocial development to underscore the need to end the genocide, apartheid, and occupation, and develop a way forward that affirms human life and dignity. Those organizations that host scientific meetings should consider themes that share research on the effects of genocide and human development in conflict and post-conflict zones. Such science and scholarly discourse should contextualize genocide through anticolonial practices, to name the source of the suffering, dismantle systems of oppression, and support liberation movements. For further details on contextualizing scholarship for Palestinian liberation, we point to the resource guide from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. [48]

Furthermore, we specifically call on the SRCD and SRA to take a firm stance against genocide, apartheid, and occupation in Palestine and in other places where such atrocities exist. The members signing this statement are here to organize, strategize, and help our professional societies thrive, even in the context of feared retribution for standing up and speaking out against genocide. Together, we will oppose genocide in ways that resist Islamophobia and antisemitism, as we strive to build professional communities in which we resist all forms of oppression. We want to be members of professional societies that refuse the myth of scientific neutrality and instead take the actions called for by our science. We want to be members of professional societies that uphold their stated values and publicly oppose genocide, occupation, and apartheid.

Researchers and Educators:

As scholars and educators, we should prepare our students to become researchers and professionals who can recognize and are able to respond to the realities of human development in global, societal, institutional, and interpersonal contexts in real time. Genocide is happening now, and researchers and educators must respond. Similar to professional societies, researchers and educators should actively oppose genocide, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and all forms of oppression. In contrast to a perceived neutrality that does not take sides, scholars and educators should facilitate classroom discussions on how our professional knowledge can be used to promote our shared humanity and social justice. This stance avoids partisan positions by centering the conversation on how genocide, occupation, apartheid, and violence affect developmental trajectories and well-being. This approach is urgently needed as dominant cultures create a false binary that expects people to be either pro-Israel or pro-Palestine in a manner that divorces the conflict from its actual impact on children, youth, and families.

University Administrators:

University administrators need to re-evaluate their free speech policies and shared-governance practices to ensure that they are allowing for the exchange of ideas and cultivating the critical consciousness of students and faculty. Critical consciousness advances the capacity to reflect on how systemic oppression operates within society in nuanced and subtle ways and to get involved in collective action for societal transformation. [49] Fostering critical consciousness means rejecting the binary of one side as good and the other as bad and adopting the belief that all people have inherent dignity and worth that must be recognized and supported by social institutions. Thus, university administrators should also review whether current policies and practices have been equitably applied to students and faculty who have spoken out against the genocide in Gaza since October 8, 2023. In a recent example, Harvard College Administrative Board reversed a prior decision to suspend and sanction student protestors. This precedent can help other universities to review decisions made at the height of tensions and assess whether actions were equitable and fair for all students. [50]

Similarly, all corporations, organizations, and media outlets should assess their policies and practices to ensure the fair treatment of employees that stand against genocide, occupation, and apartheid. Additionally, corporations, organizations, and the media must be diligent about the language they use that too often dehumanizes Palestinian people and “unchilds” Palestinian children, all of which makes violence justifiable. [51, 52, 53]

Each of Us:

Finally, each one of us has a responsibility to co-create a world where we respect and foster one another's shared humanity. That means we refuse to remain silent in the face of injustices and atrocities, and, as such, stand in solidarity with Palestinian liberation and an end to this genocide. We must reject the conflation of support for Palestinian liberation with antisemitism. [54, 55] This can be aided by learning more about the history of Palestine, Israel’s occupation, and the U.S.’s decades-long role in disrupting the peace process. [56] We can also actively let our elected officials know that we oppose genocide, occupation, and apartheid through protest demonstrations, phone calls, and other forms of activism such as boycotts, divestment, and sanctioning (BDS). [57] We can stand in solidarity with our Palestinian colleagues, students, and community members and engage with Faculty for Justice in Palestine and Students for Justice in Palestine chapters. We can also continue to advocate for academic freedom on college campuses and support colleagues and students who have been punished for speaking out against genocide, apartheid, and occupation.

Conclusion

We, as developmental scientists, ask you to stand with us to oppose this genocide, apartheid, and occupation perpetrated with U.S. backing by Israel against Palestinians. Join us by signing this statement, sharing it with your policymakers, colleagues, universities, students, and communities. Each voice and action matters. Your voice and action matters.

Signatories represent themselves, not their organizations or institutions. The total number of signatures reflects those who chose to share their name publicly and those who did not. We welcome signatures from everyone.

Shannon Snapp
Ariana Rivensmon
Mimi Arbeit
Riana Anderson
Andrea Negrete
Otiti Mayo
Nada Goodrum
Anissa Eddie
Stefanie Martinez-Fuentes
Hank Sherwood
Joscelin Rocha-Hidalgo
Carollee Howes
Ahtziri Alcantara
Izat El Amoor
Stacey Horn
Russell Toomey
deborah burke
Cassandra Moreno
Heather Hart
Alexa Martin
Melissa Delgado
Alan Meca
Jenna Tolman
Kathleen Leonard
Noelle Hurd
Emily Jensen
Matthew Nielson
Rana Abu-Zhaya
Gihane Jeremie-Brink
Daniel Labrousse
Michelle Romero
Randall Fleming
Meeta Banerjee
Margarita Azmitia
Norma Perez-Brena
Gabrielle Kubi
Zoe Smith
Bernardette Pinetta
Marilyn Ahun
Ashley Maxie-Moreman
Larissa Gaias
Lidia Monjaras Gaytan
Allycen Kurup
Barbara Thelamour
Katrina Debnam
sumaita Arowa
Dr. Annabella Gallagher
Stephanie Torres
Aixa Marchand
Kathryn French
Jashneel Singh
Alice LoCicero
Paul Fitzgerald
Diane Gallo
John dyckman
Ian Hansen
Simone Bibbs
Robert Parker
Dedr Addy
Josefina Bañales
Nancy Hollander
Diana Gal-Szabo
Brian Schwartz
Stacey Gottlieb
Serdar M. Değirmencioğlu
Heather Gridley
Taina Quiles
Atikah Bagawan
Elan Hope
Olivia Gilbert
Mykah Doolin
David Deupree
Michael Sladek
Mamfatou Baldeh
Ruby van Vliet
Jack Day
Gabriela Chavira
Fernando Salinas-Quiroz
Will Curth
Olivia Martín-Piñón
Susana Beltran
Javier Omar
Olivya Reyes
Andres Pinedo
Bob Majzler
Michael Angel Vazquez
Shahnaaz Suffla
Sheilla Fristella
Dorothy Burlage
Ann Phoenix
Nelly Ali
Charlie Owen
Clea McNeely
Iris Andriessen
Maria Dolores Cervera
Shantha Sinha
Pavithra Sarma
Jeylan Mortimer
Elaine Chase
Shashank SR
Nilda Alves
Linda Richter
Simona Taliani
Tytti Solantaus
Dympna Devine
Cairo Arafat
Muslima Nazir
Egla Martinez
Laurie Kocher
Shirin Vossoughi
Karima Gacem
Eileen Wright
Ferelyth Watt
Haideh Hashemi Nouri
Laura Lona
Priscilla Alderson
Maia Moreira
Julio Rique
Alice Chrisy
Massih Zekavat
Lamar Khatib
Rebekah Willett
Mrinal Sinha
Justin Matthews
Kate Smith
Md. Alam
Lou Harvey
Stephen McCloskey
Raija-Leena Punamäki-Gitai
alessandra frigerio
Amanda Seidl
MARIA ROTA
Kevin Ferreira van Leer
Matluba Khan
Sara Benham
Elizabeth Jelsma
Lucinda Garcia
Erica Karp
Julia Tsang
Wendy de los Reyes
Michelle Gabriela Del Rio
Amanda Pollitt
Frej Fenniche
Victoria Grant O'Daniel
Weiwei Chan
Erica Burman
Aline Hitti
Bassam Aicha
Phoebe Co
Sofia Stutzin
Ilene Cruz
Jean Von Hohendorff
Suzana Libardi
Maija-Eliina Sequeira
KaiJia Tey
Jessica Ball
Katharine Scott
Diana Lopera Perez
Sneha Bolisetty
Praveen Kenderla
Abby McLaughlin
Maliki Ghossainy
Zsuzsa Millei
Sydney Hainsworth
Madalena Melo
Farida Khan
Rabea Leisse
Mijntje ten Brummelaar
Akilah Patterson
Signe Hvid Thingstrup
Susan Godt
Masuma Mamdani
Sharmila Mhatre
DQ Neyhart
Ignacio Campoy Cervera
Lisa Goffman
LouAnn Gerken
Karla McGregor
Leah Fabiano
Julia Brannen
Teresa Bertotti
Mauren McBride
Shannon Sullivan
Hoda Shawky
Silvia Juarez-Marazzo
David Willis
Sakeena Mirza
Marlene Barra
Tejaswinee Hazarika
Yasmine Perry
Maryam Sayyedi
Sharif El-Mazati
Jennifer Oppenheim
Daniel Cooper
Caitlin Hudac
Seth Kaper-Dale
Kaylyn Garcia
Sarah Edmunds
Laila Kadiwal
Zohirul Islam
Desa Daniel
Ana Figueiredo
Erin Biesecker
Brianna Baker
Fernando Estrada
Kimberly Applewhite
Zamzam Dini
Richard Lee
Juan Del Toro
Sawssan Ahmed
Darius Green
Bahaur Amini
Juliana Neuspiel
Carol Cho
Abbey Eisenhower
Carlos Santos
Diondra Straiton
Guicheng Tan
Stephanie Yu
Que-Lam Huynh
Betsy Paredes Centeno
Pauline Peck
Kevin Cokley
Sungha Kang
Sarah Burnham
Ragini Shah
Linda Halgunseth
Maryse Richards
Katie McAuliff
Nelson Portillo
Regina Langhout
Taylor Swenski
Eric Mankowski
David Menendez
Brad Olson
Davi Lakind
Faizun Bakth
Ashmeet Oberoi
Kristina McDonald
Guadalupe Lopez Hernandez
Annalise Tolley
Melinda Gonzales Backen
Zoe Smith
Kayla Osman
Karinna Nazario
Susana Nunez Rodriguez
Hivana Fonseca
Monica Revino
Parisa Sattar
Dominique La Barrie
Danny Rahal
Shabnam Javdani
Qinxin Shi
Elizabeth Wong
Nameera Akhtar
Margaret Kerr
Sharla Biefeld
Bernadette Sanchez
M. Bishop
Robert Marx
Paul Hastings
Rachel Farr
Mona Abo-Zena
Amy Chen
Katie Mervin
Christopher Fan
Aditi Subramaniam
Helena Girouard
Sarah O'Rourke
Katherine Ginn
Marwa Azab
Kailey Ryan
Sanghyuk Shin
Beril Bayrak
Jemilla White
Monique Salgado
Gulalai Sharifzad
Sarah Reppenhagen
Edina Doci
Maha Yomn Sbaa
Sara de Sio

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