Review of Children and War: Past and Present Edited by Helga Embacher et al. (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Impact of War on Children, 2024
War also affects children deeply, in a way that is similar to its impact on adults, but different and intense. Children greatly need the care, empathy, and attention of adults who love them. However, war disrupts these bonds due to parental loss, excessive preoccupation with survival, and emotional unavailability. Childhood experiences during the war can significantly alter a child's life trajectory. Children who lose educational opportunities during war face longterm negative consequences. Disabilities caused by war not only lead to physical losses (limbs, vision, cognitive capacity) but also interfere with schooling and social interactions. Girls exposed to sexual violence may face social exclusion and miss out on marriage opportunities. The impact of war on children extends far beyond the immediate danger. Secondary impacts such as displacement, broken family ties, hunger, and lack of vital services profoundly shape their lives. Such high-impact events leave scars that last long after the conflict ends, forever changing children's potential and their physical and psychological well-being.
PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF WAR ON CHILDREN
University College Bedër, 2023
Background: Wars and armed conflicts have caused social trauma worldwide, with children being the most vulnerable group at risk. Worldwide, one in four children lives in a country often affected by armed conflicts, natural disasters or epidemics. Objectives: The study aims to provide an overview of research on the psychological impact of war conflicts on children, including the types of war trauma that are caused as a result of war. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using Elsevier, Google Scholar and PubMed databases. Key terms used in the search include: armed conflict and children or war and mental health or refugees and trauma or exposure to war trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. Results: After the classification and detailed analysis of specific issues, several main psychological factors were identified that affect the deterioration of the psychological condition of children affected by armed conflicts, terrorism and political violence. Children's continued exposure to war trauma is associated with mental health problems including post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, dissociative disorders, depersonalization, derealization, numbing, catatonia, conduct disorders: especially aggression and violent criminal behavior. Conclusions: Based on the studies used, the results show that the crisis caused by wars in children has significant effects on mental health such as: anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, sleep disorders and suicidal thoughts. The cited studies recommend increasing human resources in the identification, diagnosis, rehabilitation and psychosocial support of children who are displaced from war zones to other countries. Keywords: Mental health, armed conflict, children, exposure to war trauma.
This paper mainly discuss about how war affects children, how to rehabilitate war-affected children (tertiary prevention), and how to make the experience of being in a war zone less damaging for children (secondary prevention). However, any degree of immersion in the suffering of children in war impels one to consider ways of removing the vector producing the suffering – war itself (primary prevention).Here, I will consider a broader issue of replacing our present war system with a peace system.
Children in war: a silent majority under stress
The British journal of medical psychology, 1994
To assess the amount of stress exposure and reactions among children following a war situation, two comparative groups of non-displaced (N = 64) and displaced children (N = 70) from Croatia were administered a modified version of the War Trauma Questionnaire as well as the Impact of Event Scale (IES). The results showed that a majority of the children had been exposed to armed combat, with displaced children significantly more exposed to destruction of home and school as well as to acts of violence, and loss of family members, than the non-displaced children. Regarding the IES scores, displaced children had significantly higher scores for the total score and for the intrusion and avoidance subscales. For girls the total score and intrusion score were significantly higher than for boys. Different exposure factors were significantly related to the IES scores, especially for the intrusion subscale of the IES.
Psychological Effects of Armed Conflicts on Children
THE GLOBAL PSYCHOTHERAPIST, 2024
Armed conflicts have caused extreme social crises worldwide, where children represent the most vulnerable group, often experiencing severe trauma and violence in war zones. Globally, one in four children lives in a country affected by armed conflicts, natural disasters, or epidemics. This study aims to provide an overview of research on the psychological impact of armed conflicts on children, including the types of mental disorders that result after war trauma and interventions to minimize psychological damage after exposure to war and conflict. The research was based on a systematic review of the literature, using the Elsevier, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases. Key terms used in the research include: war and mental health or armed conflict, children or refugees and trauma or exposure to war trauma; and post-traumatic stress disorder. Children's continued exposure to war trauma is associated with mental health problems including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, suicidal thoughts or behaviors, dissociative disorders, depersonalization, derealization, numbing, catatonia, and behavior disorders, especially aggression and violent criminal behavior. Based on the studies used, the results show that the crises caused in children by wars has significant effects on mental health, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, sleep disorders, and suicidal thoughts. The cited studies recommend increasing human resources for the identification, diagnosis, rehabilitation, and psychosocial support of children who are evacuated from war zones to other countries. Keywords: armed conflict, children, mental health, exposure to war trauma, positive psychotherapy
Children Exposed to War/Terrorism
Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 2003
This paper reviews the prevalence of psychological morbidities in children who have been exposed to war-related traumas or terrorism as well as the diversity of war-related casualties and their associated psychological responses. The psychological responses to war-related stressors are categorized as (1) little or no reaction, (2) acute emotional and behavioral effects, and (3) long-term effects. Specific categories of war-related casualties discussed include refugee status, traumatic bereavement, effects of parental absence, and child soldiers. Psychological responses associated with terrorism and bioterrorism are presented. Lastly, mediators of the psychological response to war-related stressors are discussed, to include exposure effects, gender effects, parental, family and social factors, and child-specific factors. Children exposed to war-related stressors experience a spectrum of psychological morbidities including posttraumatic stress symptomatology, mood disorders, externalizing and disruptive behaviors, and somatic symptoms determined by exposure dose effect. Specific questions for future research are identified.