More than just business as usual: The psychological effects of the Zero Tolerance Policy on the children themselves and on us as witnesses

Dana Sinopoli

Psychologist

When the Zero Tolerance Policy came out in May, the response was primarily focused on its policy aspects and what this said about the current administration. In this address, psychologist Dana Sinopoli will focus on the direct and long-lasting psychological effects of this policy on the children themselves and the intergenerational transmission of trauma, demonstrating how this policy will affect subsequent generations. She will also address what it means to be a witness to what is happening around us and how outrage and helplessness can be turned into agency.

Dr. Sinopoli has been in private practice for over five years in Philadelphia and works with people who present with a desire to more fully understand themselves, their histories, and their relationships through an in-depth and collaborative process. She has also taught a graduate school course on psychological trauma and has presented workshops to law enforcement and attorneys on trauma-informed forensic interviewing. Most recently, Dr. Sinopoli been interviewed in print and on air on the psychological effects of this administration’s Zero-Tolerance Policy.