Abstract
This piece will review two categories of childhood trauma in Argentina. First, the tragedy of the children kidnapped and missing during the last military government in Argentina (1976–1983). Second, the current occurrence of child sexual abuse and its treatment in this country. The author will show the societal response to these two categories of childhood trauma in the context of the particular cultural background, and discuss the potential damaging impact on the victims. The clinical vignettes will help the reader to better understand to which extent dissociation is present in these societal responses. Issues related to the mental health and legal systems in Argentina are also discussed.