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Migration-related trauma is a pervasive yet underrecognized contributor to pediatric chronic pain. Experiences of displacement—ranging from family separation and detention to systemic exclusion from health and social services—are not isolated events but manifestations of structural violence that unfold across time, space, and development. These multilevel adversities accumulate as chronic stressors, shaping biological, psychological, and social systems in ways that may perpetuate pain across generations. Despite the growing prevalence of pediatric chronic pain and global migration, current models do not sufficiently account for the sociopolitical conditions that drive disparities in pain outcomes among migrant youth. To address this gap, we introduce DISPLACED—Dehumanized and ImpoSed Pain Layered across SpACe, TimE, and Development—a novel conceptual framework that situates pediatric chronic pain within the broader context of migration and structural trauma. Drawing on interdisciplinary evidence, we present a hypothesis that imposed trauma and systemic exclusion interact with developmental vulnerabilities to produce and sustain chronic pain. We emphasize the importance of intersectionality, recognizing how overlapping marginalized identities (e.g., racialized identity, gender, legal status) compound risk and shape pain experiences. The DISPLACED model calls on pain scientists, clinicians, and policymakers to move beyond individual-level explanations and engage with the structural determinants of pain. We offer a globally aligned agenda for research, clinical care, and policy that centers equity, trauma-informed practice, and structural justice. By reframing pediatric chronic pain as a reflection of sociopolitical realities, the DISPLACED model provides a blueprint for advancing justice-driven approaches to pain science, care, public health, and advocacy.
Roman‐Juan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.