Children and Adolescents in Conflict and Displacement

Abstract

Today, one in six young people lives in a conflict zone. Children and adolescents may experience armed conflict as witnesses and targets, participants and protestors, and victims and survivors. Young people also make up about half of the world’s refugees and internally displaced persons. Through conflict and displacement, these girls and boys encounter a tremendous array of risks to their survival and well-being while also contributing to the resilience of their families and communities. This chapter draws on the social ecological framework to conceptualize how children’s and adolescents’ social environments shape their experiences of, and responses to, armed conflict and forced migration. It also explores how factors at the community, family, interpersonal, and individual levels contribute to distress and resilience. The chapter highlights the vulnerability of subpopulations, such as unaccompanied and separated minors, young people associated with armed forces and groups, and young people in conflict with the law. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the need for holistic interventions designed to respond to this complex interplay of risk, protective, and promotive factors.