Children In War Zones Research Articles

Peculiarities of protection of children’s rights in conditions of military action and armed conflicts

The article reveals the peculiarities of the protection of children’s rights due to hostilities and armed conflicts. The means that the state should use (both the victim and the aggressor) to protect the rights of children in the context of hostilities and armed conflicts are studied. Proposals are being made to improve national legislation and the collective security system. It is stated that the protection of children’s rights in the context of hostilities and armed conflicts has undergone transformations and has therefore acquired certain features distinct from those of peacetime. They boil down to the following features: children’s rights are protected by norms of both international and national law, but with the priority of international humanitarian law; the effectiveness of such protection depends on both parties to the armed conflict, including the good faith performance of the international legal obligations of the adversary; the system of collective security in modern conditions is inefficient and requires the development of new measures and tools for improvement; Consolidation of efforts and participation of the international community, creation of a coalition of states and various world organizations are important for the protection of children’s rights; The protection of children’s rights is facilitated by the social cohesion of civil society, which is acquiring new forms of activities related to helping children during hostilities and armed conflicts. In order to effectively protect the rights of children in war zones and armed conflicts and children affected by them, national legislation needs to be further improved. To do this, it is necessary to develop a state program for the rehabilitation of children injured in hostilities and armed conflicts; determine the composition of such crimes as «recruitment of a child during an armed conflict», «use of a child during an armed conflict» and establish criminal penalties for them; define the concept of «a child who is in a zone of hostilities and armed conflict», etc. Ukraine currently lacks a consolidating public authority to ensure and protect the rights of children, including those affected by and affected by hostilities and armed conflicts. Key words: children’s rights, protection of children’s rights, military action, armed conflict, Geneva conventions, international humanitarian law, collective security.

War, toys, play to heal: priming designers to create playthings promoting resilience in children in war zones

ABSTRACT Trauma-related psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are highly prevalent in children in war zones; yet professional care is scarcely available. This leaves children and their families, often also affected by trauma, to live with unaddressed psychopathologies. This paper presents a framework for designing toys promoting resilience and support healing in children potentially traumatized by war. Structured around several workshops, it was introduced to undergraduate students within a toy design course in an east Asian University and facilitated by a transdisciplinary team consisting of the authors, a designer, and an artist, and expressive and play therapists working in war zones. Analysis of outcomes demonstrates that a short design workshop, albeit disconnected from the context of use, may appropriately redesign toys available in war zone markets as play therapy-inspired transitional or comfort objects supporting healing from war-related trauma. Feedback from therapists provided keys for further elaboration of the framework.

Facilitating mental health screening of war-torn populations using mobile applications.

War-torn populations are often hard to screen for mental health disorders. Classical data collection approaches, such as paper-based, online, or SMS-operated, are either infeasible or lack accuracy due to a variety of challenges associated with dynamics and consequences of war. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach for accurate and fast screening using free open-source software, Open Data Kit (ODK) mobile application. This approach was developed by the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) to assess the mental health symptoms of 986 Palestinian children (age 6-18) in the aftermath of Israel's Operation Protective Edge (OPE) in 2014. The organization developed assessment questionnaires and trained local field workers on the use of the mobile application, and on recruiting and interviewing war victims. War-affected children were found to suffer from several alarming symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and somatic symptoms. Children with highest number of psychological symptoms were referred for further evaluation and treatment. The use of ODK mobile technologies facilitated efficient screening of affected children in war zones. The offline data collection capability was crucial for handling the difficult conditions associated with war-torn areas, enabling timely intervention for urgent cases. Further applications of the novel mobile technology are to be explored.

Partnership working to develop services for child refugees

ABSTRACTThis paper describes a partnership project between three organisations, a UK-based charity who’s primary purpose is supporting children in war zones, Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Uganda and Animation Therapy Ltd, to deliver a training programme for staff working with hard-to-engage children in two refugee settlements in northern Uganda. It begins with an introduction to the current global refugee crisis, including the situation in Southern Africa. An account is given of how the creative partnership came about, and its purpose. The training project is described, highlighting the roles of the two occupational therapists involved. The paper ends with some lessons learned from the project and their implications for occupational therapy education and practice.

Children in War Zones, in Genocides and Living with the Threat of Terror

International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic StudiesVolume 9, Issue 3 p. 273-279 Commentary Children in War Zones, in Genocides and Living with the Threat of Terror Anna Ornstein MD, Anna Ornstein MD 60 Longwood Ave., Brookline, MA, 02446Search for more papers by this author Anna Ornstein MD, Anna Ornstein MD 60 Longwood Ave., Brookline, MA, 02446Search for more papers by this author First published: 11 September 2012 https://doi.org/10.1002/aps.1328Citations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume9, Issue3Special Issue: Children affected by armed conflict: Views from the Global South Part IISeptember 2012Pages 273-279 RelatedInformation

VAN DUZER MEMORIAL ORATION: THE EFFECT OF ARMED CONFLICT ON CHILD HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Armed conflict has occurred in many parts of the world for centuries and undoubtedly will occur in the future. In the past, combatants suffered; now the majority of suffering is by civilians. Children in these regions are denied the benefits of health care and normal nurturing both during and especially for prolonged periods after the conflict (when the health and social systems have been disrupted or are non‐existent). Their problems of health and development are major; problems for which the experience and knowledge of pediatrics and pediatric research could contribute. Yet, to date, the study of the health and development of children in war zones has not been a major priority of pediatric societies or of the large community of pediatric clinicians and researchers.Recently the Programme for Global Pediatric Research has held meetings with representatives of agencies working in areas of armed conflict together with pediatric clinicians and researchers. They explored the health and developmental problems of children in war zones. Recommendations from those meetings highlighted the plight of mothers and children during conflict and in the period “after the shooting stops.” Child health and development is critically affected during these times. In many instances planning has been inadequate and both government and legal support have been deficient. This presentation will describe the health and developmental problems of children in zones of armed conflict and steps to be taken to alleviate these major problems.

A world turned upside down. Social Ecological Approaches to Children in War Zones. (2006) Edited by N. Boothby, A. Strang & M. Wessels. Bloomfield, Kumarian Press. (Available via www.kpbooks.com)

A world turned upside down. Social Ecological Approaches to Children in War Zones. (2006) Edited by N. Boothby, A. Strang & M. Wessels. Bloomfield, Kumarian Press. (Available via www.kpbooks.com)

Neil Boothby, Alison Strang, and Michael Wessels (Eds): A World Turned Upside Down: Social Ecological Approaches to Children in War Zones

Neil Boothby, Alison Strang, and Michael Wessels (Eds): A World Turned Upside Down: Social Ecological Approaches to Children in War Zones

A World Turned Upside Down: Social Ecological Approaches to Children in War Zones. Edited by Neil Boothby, Alison Strang and Michael Wessells.

A World Turned Upside Down: Social Ecological Approaches to Children in War Zones. Edited by Neil Boothby, Alison Strang and Michael Wessells.

Impact of trauma on Palestinian children's mental health: lessons from the Gaza studies

Children exposed to violence are at high risk of developing a range of mental health problems, predominantly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression (Yule, 1999). Children in war zones can be affected not only directly but also indirectly, for example through their basic health needs not being met, the loss of family members, disruption of social networks, internal displacement and their parents' responses.

Children in war zones at high risk of suffering emotional disorders

Children living in war zones are at a great risk of developing posttraumatic stress and other emotional disorders. Acute distress due to traumatic events in these children can also result in emotional problems that are not commonly recognised. This observation came from a joint study by researchers from Palestine and Leicester, United Kingdom, who found that, the effects on children during the ongoing armed conflict in the Middle East is devastating ( Lancet 2002; 359:1801-04). The researchers interviewed children aged 9-18 years residing …

The child's right to health and treatment

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes the right of the child to the highest attainable standard of health, and to treatment of illness and rehabilitation. There are very great differences in access to health care, including preventive medicine such as immunization, and adequate nutrition, between countries in the developed and developing world. These particularly affect children in war zones and in countries affected by sanctions. Developed countries are not perfect; many children in the United States are not fully immunized, and in Sweden hidden refugees and disabled children receive sub‐standard care.

Minefields in their hearts: the mental health of children in war and communal violence

The Holocaust, civil war in Bosnia, drug wars in the cities, random violence in schools, streets and homes - such events and their aftermath pose special problems for mental health professionals, educators, and others who must help children make sense of acts that endanger them physically and psychically. In this book, edited by Drs. Roberta J. Apfel and Bennett Simon, mental health professionals share their knowledge, experiences and hopefulness in working with children exposed to war and violence. The result is a history of young lives affected by war, persecution and communal violence, and a resource for anyone working with children subjected to such traumas. The contributors to this book - who include psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers, all with direct experience working with children who are victims of war and violence - address the ethics involved in working with children in war zones, children's development under circumstances of war or violence, post-traumatic stress disorder and other stress reactions, refugee children, survivor guilt, interventions and treatments and the emotional health of the caretakers. The book includes case studies on children of war in Kuwait, on a programme involving children of Holocaust survivors and children of Nazi perpetrators, and on the Child Development-Community Policing Programme in New Haven.

SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES TO CHILDREN FACING VIOLENT TRAUMA

This article reviews research and theory dealing with the intersection of the developmental psychology of trauma and spirituality. The central hypothesis is that the experience of childhood traumatization functions as a kind of `reverse religious experience', a process combining overwhelming arousal and overwhelming cognitions that threatens core `meaningfulness' for the child. In addition to reviewing the role of religion in spiritual development, it offers some general principles for action and action research to understand better the role of spirituality in the traumatization and healing of children. Research implications include the need to study the life path of violent youth as a strategy for understanding the role of spirituality in preventing social problems among high risk children. The discussion is based upon the authors' formal and informal fieldwork and research with children in war zones, violent youth and street children in several regions of the world over the last 10 years, in which trauma and spiritual development have been a major focus.

The impact of South African destabilization on maternal and child health in Mozambique.

Mozambique has felt the effects of South African destabilization since its independence from Portugal in 1975. Women and children tend to suffer from destabilization the most especially in regards to their health care. Mozambique has targeted the above groups as it strives to improve its health services. Between 1979-81 health service attendance increased dramatically (40-49% increase in antenatal clinic attendance and 27-39% increase in health facility delivery). The Expanded Program on Immunization beginning in 1980 achieved a 95% vaccination rate. 246 midwives were trained between 1976-82 and 374 maternal-child health (MCH) nurses were trained between 1903-06. Between 1902-87 rebel attacks caused 729 primary health care units to close. Maternal care facilities are constantly under attack which causes decreased attendance by fearful mothers. However overall percentages of health care utilization has dropped only slightly. Immunizations have been disrupted and mobile team operations limited in areas of attack. In quieter areas immunizations have been increasingly successful due to community cooperation. In 1987 55% of children ages 12-23 months were immunized 63% of mothers had delivered in maternity units and 66% of children had visited units 4 or more times in their 1st year of life. Rural life has been disrupted by war: from 1901-05 war has caused 320000 deaths; in 1905 infant mortality estimates were 200/1000 and child mortality was 325-375/1000. Disease epidemics caused most of the childhood deaths. 8.4% of children in war zones were malnourished vs. 6.2% in drought areas. Psychological trauma is also a problem among children. Mozambique has reassessed its MCH policies since 1985 to attempt to function under the existing conditions. Even though there is much suffering and death MCH services continue to function.