The reconciliation attitudes of former child soldiers in Northern Uganda

Abstract

Introduction: While the reintegration processes of former child soldiers have been widely studied, little attention has been paid to their reconciliation attitudes, and in particular possible associations between these reconciliation attitudes and different risk factors. Therefore, this study examined reconciliation attitudes of formerly abducted adolescents living in post-conflict Northern Uganda, compared to non-conscripted youth, and possible associations with war-related stressful experiences and daily stressors. Methods: Four hundred forty five war-affected adolescents living in Northern Uganda were included, of which 214 (48.1%) were formerly abducted. All completed questionnaires on exposure to stressful war experiences (Stressful War Events Questionnaire), daily stressors (Adolescent Complex Emergency Daily Stressors Scale), and attitudes towards reconciliation (Openness to Reconciliation Questionnaire). Associations between several sociodemographics, war-related and daily stressors and reconciliation attitudes were explored using hierarchical linear regression models. Results: Findings showed that conscripted youth experienced more stressful war experiences and daily stressors than non-conscripted youth, and that they scored higher on the different reconciliation attitudes (goodwill attitudes, positive feelings towards the future, feelings of avoidance and of revenge). Having been recruited as child soldier was associated with more revenge attitudes compared to non-abducted children, and girls showed more goodwill attitudes than boys. Above, a larger exposure to war-related and daily stressors was associated with overall higher reconciliation attitudes, although particular interaction effects showed complex relationships here. Conclusion: Overall war-related stressors, daily stressors and, to a lesser degree, abduction status and gender are associated with reconciliation attitudes. The findings have implications for agencies working to promote postconflict recovery among war-affected children.