Reintegration

I’ve come across enough information to be able to answer some more questions. I’ll start with; what type of psychological affect would it have, if any, on a person at such an impressionable age? The psychological affects that the children suffer from have all been grouped into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or TPSD as it’s commonly referred to as. This is the same thing you hear US soldiers having after they come back from duty. I’ll talk more about treating this disorder while answering the next question. 

How is a child soldier reintegrated back into society after such a traumatic experience? This is where the people and governments really try to focus their efforts. As of 2006 there were nine centers open to aid in the care of war-affected children. Out of the few lucky children who manage to escape groups like the Lords of Resistance Army (LRA), only an estimated 13-14% find their way to one of these rehabilitation centers. When these lucky few show up they receive medical treatment. Common issues are: malnourishment, infections to the skin and other areas, wounds of varying sizes, HIV/AIDS, and many are maimed physically and psychologically. 15-20% of the children who make it to these centers are over eighteen and because of this fact unfortunately receive less attention even though they may have been abducted at a young age. The average time spent in a center such as these is 2-6 weeks. In one of the centers in Uganda if a child has stayed for such a long time that they are significantly behind in their schooling, they will provide skills training. They teach children bricklaying, carpentry and tailoring, and once they finish the course they provide them with a tool kit so they can earn a living. During the child’s recovery from this traumatic experience, the center actively searches for the child’s parents. Once they are located and the child is of sound body, and psychologically fit, they return home. Unfortunately some times a child’s parents are killed or cannot be found. In these cases, having no place to go and no one to care for them, it is not uncommon for the child to return to the combat group they had escaped from.

I had made a short survey to see what people might do, when having to make some of these hard choses that these children have to make. I’ve posted the questions and the percentage of yes or no answers. If you would like you may take the survey as well at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TQXC28Y

If multiple people came into your house and abducted you, held you at gunpoint and told you too murder someone, would you?     Yes 20%   No 80%

If you were under constant threat of being abducted, under which you would be forced to commit horrible crimes, and the only way to insure your safety would be to walk one hour through the dessert in the middle of the night, would you?     Yes 100%   No 0%

If you were pregnant with a child from one of your abductors, and you had the chance to escape, but had nowhere to go, would you stay with your abductors so you would be able to care for your child?    Yes 46%   No 54%

You had successfully escaped your abductors and had come to realize your parents and friends no longer want anything to do with you because of the horrible crimes you were forced to commit while being held captive, would you return to your abductors for food and shelter?   Yes 13%   No 87%