Protective Factors and Resilience of War Affected Children in Kakuma Refugee Camp

War affects millions of people around the world each year, sending thousands into flight from their familiar homes and countries in the hope of escaping chaos and violence amongst who are thousands of children who have... [ view full abstract ]

War affects millions of people around the world each year, sending thousands into flight from their familiar homes and countries in the hope of escaping chaos and violence amongst who are thousands of children who have experienced and survived devastating and profoundly stressful events. The purpose of this study was to determine the interplay between risk and protective processes in the mental health of war-affected children in Kakuma refugee camp in Turkana from an ecological perspective. The design used in the study is a cross-sectional survey based on self-reports. Data collected through questionnaires administered to children and their caregivers, focused group discussions and key informant interviews with those working with the children. Respondents described a range of effects including being a victim or witness of violent acts, raped, threats to and loss of loved ones, prolonged parental absence, and forced displacement. The protective factors that moderated the impact of war-related adversities in children according to the respondents were a strong bond between the primary caregiver and the child, the social support of teachers and peers, and a shared sense of values. The major effective intervention for children affected by war included school-based interventions that were implemented by the teachers or locally trained paraprofessionals including counselors, psychosocial first aid personnel and social workers. The findings showed that children who were most adjusted and performing more successfully resided in ecologically stable environments, characterized by healthy, interactive relationships across all subsystems. Although many children have been killed, injured, have killed, displaced through armed conflicts and lost loved ones war seems a normal occurrence around the world. Therefore, all stakeholders both state and non state actors should join hands in working towards reducing the impact of armed conflict and terrorism on children globally.