“Little by little, I go”: Multiple dimensions of distress and support for unaccompanied children in the United States

Abstract

Unaccompanied children are a vulnerable group of immigrants who arrive to the United States (US) without a parent or caregiver. A growing body of research demonstrates that unaccompanied children experience trauma before, during, and after their arrival to the US. A gap in research in the US is a deeper understanding of how unaccompanied children describe the challenges they experience in resettlement, and what they perceive as most helpful as they adjust to new communities and social settings. This qualitative study is guided by the category fallacy theoretical framework and includes analysis of in-depth interviews with unaccompanied children who resettled in the US (n = 16). Findings reveal that unaccompanied children experience family separation and family reunification as distinct challenges. In addition, unaccompanied children perceive schools and social support as helpful with adjusting to new communities. The findings can inform how service providers design interventions and encourage policy makers to streamline school enrollment procedures.