The psychological suffering of children during war is an often overlooked, yet crucial, outcome of armed conflict. Many children have lived through conflict, political violence, displacement and starvation. This paper examines some of the issues surrounding the psychological costs of war.
The first half of the paper discusses material that questions the international projection of refugees as traumatised. The second half of the paper explores psycho-social intervention as a new mode of external therapeutic governance.5 The paper suggests that the influence of a Western therapeutic ethos on international policy does not necessarily represent a humanist turn. Psycho-social intervention does not just simply entail cultural imperialism, that is, the imposition of a Western therapeutic model on other societies, which have their own coping strategies.
More than a decade ago, in September 1990, the Convention on th Rights of the Child (CRC) entered into force. Today the Convention, the most universally ratified human rights instrument, is the standard against which we measure the success or failure of our efforts to serve the best interests of children.
This field guide is one in a series compiled by Save the Children (SC) as part of its Children and War Capacity Building Initiative. The SC Children in Crisis Unit developed this initiative in order to support SC staff in responding to the priority care and protection needs of children and adolescents during new emergencies and in situations of chronic armed conflict or displacement.
The mental health effects of children affected by militarized violence are receiving increasing attention as the magnitude of the problem worldwide and its implications is becoming recognized. The trends in child mental health in Sri Lanka related to war and other factors are reviewed, and local project context in Eastern Sri Lanka is described. Since 1995 research and program development in addresses psychological distress in schoolchildren from multiple factors, many directly war related.
The manual Working with Children in Unstable Settings aims to guide UNICEF staff and UNICEF partners in how best to respond to the psychosocial needs of children in unstable situations. It aims to introduce humanitarian workers to psychosocial principles and UNICEFs position on these principles. It provides a number of examples from UNICEF field work of how these principles have been turned into concrete interventions.
The psychological and psychiatric impact of great natural disasters are beginning to be understood leading to new methods of prevention, intervention and mitigation. There is limited data from the Asian continent, however, which has been the location of some of the greatest disasters of recent times. In this paper, we outline the psychosocial intervention efforts from nine Asian nations when confronted with large-scale natural catastrophic events. These include reports from situations where local services have some capacity to respond as well as those where services are destroyed or overwhelmed. From this it is possible to draw some general principles of psychosocial disaster intervention: (1) Assessment of disaster, extant service systems and incoming resources. (2) Assessment of help-seeking pathways and cultural models of illness.
A web-based study of psychosocial resources and documents reveals that there is not a balanced representation of different positions and approaches to the issues on the Internet. While there is a large amount of literature on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the web, very few documents and resources that present a cultural or community-based approach to psychosocial issues are available on the Internet. One of the reasons for this may be the unequal access to electronic resources and publications available to scholars who work within a trauma approach and those who do not. In order not to replicate the trauma bias that currently exists on the web in this guide, a number of articles, books, and papers that are not electronically available are reviewed here.
This document is based upon a study conducted in eastern Sri Lanka by a small team of researchers over the nine month period between April 2003 and January 2004. The project was intended to pilot a range of participatory tools and methods with children in Batticaloa, a part of the island that has experienced years of conflict and displacement, with the aim of establishing their utility and appropriateness for monitoring and evaluating psychosocial programmes.
Project Objectives;
1.To create an instrument adaptation and validation process which can be used by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others to quantitatively assess the mental health burden of trauma at the population level across cultures and situations.
2. To use this instrument and process to assess part of the mental health burden of trauma on a civilian population in Rwanda.
3. To use the resulting data to assess the need for interventions, form the baseline for an intervention process, and (at a future date) to plan the form of such an intervention.
4. Current methods to assess mental health across cultures require resources and time not available to NGOs and many of the populations they serve, and are therefore research tools only. In this study we have attempted to develop a method useful for NGOs because it requires only training and existing resources.
The past decade has seen a steady growth in the number of initiatives in Sri Lanka that are described as being psychosocial interventions related to its long-standing ethnic conflict or other political violence. This seems to be the result of heightened global and local awareness of the psychological toll exacted by modern conflicts.
Exposure to natural disasters has a devastating impact on the psychological and social well-being of children, adolescents and adults. It is now widely accepted that early psychosocial interventions that help to mitigate the effect of trauma, alleviating psychological distress, and strengthen resiliency must be an integral part of humanitarian assistance.
The earthquake and tsunami of 26 December 2004 brought great devastation to innumerable communities bordering the Indian Ocean. As humanitarian efforts continue to support relief and, increasingly, reconstruction work within these communities there is great awareness of the human dimensions of this disaster.
This article presents a project about applying a model of brief therapy to the rehabilitation of survivors of torture and organised political violence. The model includes both narrative and body oriented therapeutic approaches to the treatment of trauma. The narrative approach focuses on the construction of meaning in the traumatic events and in so doing makes it possible for the client to view his life story from different angles.
The goal of collecting this information is to improve the mental health system and to provide a baseline for monitoring the change. This will enable Uruguay to develop information-based mental health plans with clear base-line information and targets. It will also be useful to monitor progress in implementing reform policies, providing community services, and involving users, families and other stakeholders in mental health promotion, prevention, care and rehabilitation.
The victims of modern armed conflict are far more likely to be civilians than soldiers. According to UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, the vast majority of casualties in todays wars are among civilians, mostly women and children. Women in particular can face devastating forms of sexual violence, which are sometimes deployed systematically to achieve military or political objectives.
The Handbook is a co-publication of REDRESS and the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture,1 and contains general advice and practical information for torture survivors wishing to access information and services, including contact details for many useful service providers throughout the country. The Handbook also sets out the ways in which torture survivors may obtain reparation.
Bureau of Human Rights and Rule of Law Uzbekistan. On the implementation of the ICCPR
An Alternative Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
An Alternative Report to the United Nations Committee Against Torture.
An alternative Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Terrorism is the “systematic threat or use of unpredicted violence by organized groups to achieve a political objective. Terrorism`s impact has been magnified by the deadliness of modern-day weapons and the ability of mass communications to inform the world of such acts” (Merriam Webster, 2000). This remarkably insightful definition, written more than a year prior to the devastating attacks on our nation, is supported by studies conducted by psychological researchers in the aftermath of these attacks.
What to Expect After Trauma: Possible reactions in elementary school, middle school and high school students and teachers Guidelines for teachers.
No one knows how long a war will last or how it will affect our lives. We may feel uncertain about the future and anxious about events that are out of our control. You may react differently to a war today because of the impact of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Terrorism creates fear and uncertainty about the future. Because terrorist acts are random and unpredictable, war today poses a new kind of threat, one with which Americans have had little experience. You may feel more afraid, insecure, and vulnerable as a result of concerns that the United States could be attacked again.
When a natural disaster affects a community, the resulting trauma can reverberate even with those not directly affected by the disaster. Disasters of this type can be sudden and overwhelming. In addition to the often catastrophic toll on lives and property, a disaster like a tsunami(tidal wave), hurricane or fire can have an impact on those who have lost loved ones and even those who feel more vulnerable as a result of learning about the disaster.
Tsunamis such as those that recently hit South Asia can have serious public health consequences. This page provides information on those public health issues.
In addition to their profound effects on the life and infrastructure of communities, disasters produce a massive collective stress exceeding the ability of the affected population to cope with the physical, emotional, and financial burdens. Disaster episodes affect millions of people and exert a collective social suffering that requires a monumental effort by individuals, communities, societies, and the world community to overcome.
The purpose of this course is to help participants understand the Disaster Mental Health Services (DMHS) function within the American Red Cross Disaster Services Program. Participants will earn how Disaster Mental Health Services support disaster relief workers and people affected by disasters.
Bangladesh ratified the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other rules. Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 1998 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in 2000, both of which prohibit the use of torture and oblige States parties to hold perpetrators of torture accountable and to provide remedies and reparation to survivors. These ratifications constituted major steps forward in Bangladeshs efforts to bring about an end to the entrenched practices of torture and ill-treatment.
People who are seeking asylum are not a homogeneous population. Coming from different countries and cultures, they have had, in their own and other countries, a wide range of experiences that may affect their health and nutritional state.
The practice of rendering wanted persons to Egypt and other countries in the region, despite the high risk that they will be subjected to torture, dates back to the mid-1990s. In many cases the returning country is a neigh boring Arab or South Asian state. In some cases the United States has played a role in the transfer. In most cases there is no indication that any form of judicial procedure, such as a formal extradition request and hearing, was used; even where warrants may have been issued, in the face of Egypts terrible record of torture the state holding the suspect should have declined the request, in accordance with international law forbidding any country from sending someone to a country, including his or her country of origin, where he or she will likely be subjected to torture.
In pursuit of their goal, PCATI operates primarily in two spheres: the legal, by filing petitions in the name of torture victims and training legal, medical and mental health professionals to work with torture victims; and the public, through education projects, conferences, continuing education sessions, documentation, and the release of publications.Her are a collection of their studies.
The political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is unstable and rapidly shifting in some areas. This report contains the most current information available about Congolese children up to early June 2003.
Guerrilla groups, paramilitaries, government armed forces and national police all perpetrate violence and abuses against civilians, including children and adolescents. These are infractions of international humanitarian law and human rights, yet these crimes are often committed with a high level of impunity. Young people have been killed and maimed, victimized by sexual violence, lured and forced into the ranks of combatants, used as informants, marked as targets and driven from their homes.
Liberia has been in a nearly constant state of civil war for 14 years. This has taken an enormous toll on the lives of Liberian children, adolescents and all civilians. Throughout the years of civil war and especially during the 2003 War, thousands of Liberian children have been victims of killings, rape and sexual assault, abduction, torture, forced labor, forced recruitment into fighting forces and displacement and other violations by warring factions.
Throughout and immediately after the formal end of the Kosovo conflict and cessation of NATO bombardment of FR Yugoslavia in 1999, a great number of Serbs and other non-Albanians from Prizren and other regions of Kosovo were forced to flee for refuge to other parts of the country. On the report of respective estimates of certain international organizations (UNHCR, ICRC) about 200, 000 persons were forcibly displaced into the parts of Serbia outside Kosovo (50 pages, .doc, for historical reference).
The report, Rape and Other Torture in the Chechnya Conflict, is based on medical and psychological documentation of 35 asylum seekers, 19 women and 16 men, from the Chechnya conflict at the Medical Foundation ‘s treatment centre in London. During assessment and treatment, 16 of the women and one man disclosed that they had been raped. In 13 of these cases, the alleged perpetrators were Russian soldiers, in three cases they were said to be Russian police officers, and in one Chechen rebels.
This study is divided into three parts. Part I provides a general overview of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment (in prisons in particular) committed by state officials. Parts II and III deal with torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of women and children respectively.
In August 2003, the Observatory for the protection of human rights defenders, joint programme of the International federation for human rights (FIDH) and the World organisation against torture OMCT) mandated a mission in Zimbabwe, in order to evaluate the situation of human rights defenders in the country. 2003 was marked by the fierce repression human rights defenders have had to face under the increasingly authoritarian regime.
This General report has been drawn up by Centro de Salud Mental y Derechos Humanos, CINTRAS, based on the analysis of the most important and recent studies and publications regarding torture and maltreatment in Chile, on a general review of the printed press over the last few years, and on interviews with lawyers specialized in this field, as well as with representatives of entities that work defending the rights of people arrested and imprisoned.
While noting that the Moroccan government has followed through on its commitment to present its third periodic report on implementation of the Convention Against Torture, the Moroccan Prison Observatory, the Moroccan Association for Women Rights and the Bayti Association – backed by the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) – express their regret at having been unable to obtain a copy of the Moroccan government’s report from the Moroccan authorities for the purpose of making comments.
This report addresses issues related to the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights in Chechnya, along with the particular situation faced by internally displaced persons in Ingushetia.
An alternative Report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee
This report was jointly prepared by three Colombian human rights NGOs with the support of a large national coalition: The AVRE Corporation (Apoyo a víctimas pro recuperación emocional),The Comisión Colombiana de Juristas, The CSPP (Comité de Solidaridad con los presos politicos)
The Guidelines have been developed to offer service providers, managers and practitioners with insights, principles and strategies in key facets of assessment and delivery of psychological services in the disaster context. Their aims are to facilitate recovery, ensure ethical practice, and to protect victims and support workers in their respective roles.
Recent years have seen a growing interest in the immediate responses evoked by traumatic stressors. This renewed interest has several sources, not the least of which is the desire to prevent the occurrence of prolonged stress disorders among survivors.
Current knowledge about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has sensitized the public and the mental health community to the damaging potential of exposure to traumatic events.
Many NGOs work for children and communities in war situations. In recent years growing attention has been paid to answering not only basic needs shelter, food, water, medical care but also to increasing the mental and psychological health of the child. The assumption is that the trauma children experience in such situations can significantly affect their psychological and physical growth.
This white paper extends the work done in previous reviews by discussing the most recent empirical studies of pathology and services among refugees and by describing unique populations of child and adolescent refugees. These data, as well as treatments, are organized by phase of the refugee experience and contextualized in cultural and developmental frameworks.
Girls and women who have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) need high quality, empathetic and appropriate health care to meet their specific needs. WHO has launched a new clinical handbook to help health care workers provide such care. Information about female genital mutilation by WHO.
The manual is divided into different sessions, each dealing with a topic that is relevant for counseling trafficked youth. Each session describes in detail the activities to be conducted and all the materials needed, transparencies for giving lectures and handouts for additional reading materials for the participants.
Sri Lanka’s ceasefire brokered by the Norwegian government 3 months ago has essentially held, bringing hope for the end of the country’s brutal 19-year civil war. The war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who have been fighting for an independent state in the north and east of the island, and the Sri Lankan government has resulted in more than 64 000 deaths and shattered the economy.
This report is the product of close co-operation and hard work by a multinational team motivated to bear witness to the anguish suffered by the Sierra Leone population.
This article describes the theoretical framework, objectives, implementation and intervention activities of the mental health program of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Bosnia-Hercegovina, 1994-1998.
The decision to intervene in the early stage of an emergency is largely based on operational observations and compassion of field workers. The usefulness of intervening in early stages of a crisis has been documented in a number of settings.
In recent years, awareness has grown of the necessity of understanding the inner world of refugees (in particular traumatized refugees), immigrants, and their children. These groups have come in increasing numbers to Scandinavia, and otherwise confident and capable professionals in all arenas of mental health, social work and other fields have often felt inadequate when working with them.
The PILOTS database is an electronic index to the worldwide literature on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental-health consequences of exposure to traumatic events. It is produced by the National Center for PTSD, and is available to the public on computer systems maintained by Dartmouth College.
The aim of all of Spirasi’s programmes is to address some of the unmet health and social needs of the asylum seekers arriving in Ireland and to facilitate those who are granted refugee status to integrate into Irish society. Within Spirasi, the Centre for the Care of Survivors of Torture works with refugees and asylum seekers who have been tortured or suffered other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment to try to achieve as full a recovery as possible from the effects of that abuse. This is achieved by providing psycho-social support and specific therapies in as culturally and linguistically appropriate a way as possible.
A guide to international humanitarian and human rights law.