Millions of children worldwide are currently living under the daily dread of terrorism, wars, and various forms of criminal, political, sexual, and gender-based violence. While all children are inherently resilient, severe traumatic experiences have a profound impact on children’s emotional and physical development. The objective of this Special Interest Study Group is to discuss the impact of severe trauma on child development, better understand international guidelines for mental health services in areas of conflict, and develop a network of colleagues interested in studying the effects of severe trauma with the aim of making recommendations for new research and treatment models that integrate psychosocial and biological aspects to ultimately improve outcomes for victims.