The impact of forced displacement on the wellbeing of Syrian refugee children living in Jordan

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The Syrian Civil War is one of the most significant humanitarian crises in modern times. Since 2011, over 5 million Syrians have fled the country in search of safety. Around 650,000 Syrian refugees are registered in Jordan, 48% of whom are children. The impact of forced displacement on children's wellbeing is poorly understood and requires further investigation. Methods This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional qualitative study consisting of 85 semi-structured interviews, conducted with Syrian refugees living in Jordan in 2017, to understand the impact of forced displacement on child refugees' wellbeing. A four-member research team developed a new Code Structure and analyzed the data thematically. Results Education, social integration, behavioral change and mental health, the effect of father's absence, and child marriage, were key areas of consideration. Children not being in school was found to play a big role in child wellbeing because many families had to choose between subsistence and education, with children required to work to earn money for their families. Many parents were afraid to let children out of the house other than for school, resulting in minimal social integration outside the school setting. Children's behavioral changes correlate with the father's absence, and girls were at higher risk of child marriage due to the living conditions of the families. Conclusions Education was a major priority for families, but some children were unable to attend school. A novel finding from this research is that many children faced limited social integration outside of school, significantly affecting wellbeing. Thus, providing school buses, prior English classes, as well as the provision of safe spaces where children can socially interact outside of school, needs to be prioritized. Financial difficulty also needs to be addressed so that children are not pushed into child marriage or made to work for their families' survival. Key messages Safe spaces that parents trust should be provided where children can socially interact outside the school setting. Financial difficulty needs to be addressed so that children are not forced to work for their families’ survival.