Traumatic War Experiences and Their Effects on Children

Abstract

With the growing number of countries involved nowadays in armed conflict, more children have come to suffer the atrocities of war. Displacement, witnessing violent acts, bearing arms, being victims of direct hostilities are some of the traumatic experiences children face growing up in war-torn countries. There is no question that such overwhelming experiences have an impact on the development of children, their attitudes toward society, their relationships with others, and their outlook on life in general. In this chapter, we will examine the nature of childhood war traumata and their potential deleterious effects on children. Based on our own experiences, and drawing from the literature on traumatic stress, this chapter also outlines different treatment approaches to childhood PTSD and discusses the implementation of such approaches in countries involved in armed conflict. [Text, p. 625]