Family in exile: Examining the risk and resilience of refugees in Serbia

Abstract

It has been over a decade since the armed conflict in the former Yugoslavia ended. The guns went silent but for over 300,000 people who are still displaced or in exile, the positive peace is yet to come. Their basic needs are still deprived and this, coupled with previous exposure to a number of stressful and traumatic events, leaves them and their families at risk. Following the notion that risk factors refer to situations or events that increase the probability of a maladaptive state, the author analyzes some of the major risks connected with living in exile such as: Poor living conditions, unemployment, isolation, trauma and loss. In addition to this, the author gives an overview of various initiatives and interventions designed to help individual and families in exile, primarily concentrating on resilience and solution focused approaches grounded in family systems theory.