Rehabilitation of Child Soldiers by Social Workers

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The problem of child troops is a current scourge with a lengthy history. The occurrence, which was once common, was assumed to be fading away as the political institution arose. Despite this, it may now be seen on nearly every continent and in virtually every fight, but it is seldom seen within organized forces. Reintegration initiatives often aim to return youngsters to a secure environment, foster forgiveness among the child’s families and communities via religious and cultural rites and ceremonies, and support the child’s reconnection with their home (Mastey, 2019). This work is written with the aim of studying the reintegration of child soldiers by a social worker.

Reuniting former child soldiers with their families and providing proper monetary and institutional assistance are frequently the initial steps. Education is one of the most desired types of service in post-conflict situations, although it is frequently unavailable due to financial constraints. In coping with the psychological obstacles of reconciliation, community-led reunification is more valuable than Western-driven trauma treatment (Pašagić, 2019). As a result of the widespread perception that youngsters who join armed organizations are immoral, untrustworthy, or dangerous, many individuals are shunned by their communities, making rehabilitation difficult. When a kid commits war crimes, reintegration attempts can be tricky since stigma and anger within the community might be amplified.

Female child soldiers frequently encounter additional challenges when it comes to reintegration. During a conflict, girls report a much higher incidence of rape and sexual assault and face particular gender-specific obstacles. They are typically stigmatized more when they return to the community since they are generally seen as soiled by sexual interactions that took place outside of marriage. When they return, they are frequently shunned, mocked, physically and verbally assaulted, and forbidden from marrying.

Many female former child soldiers suffered a range of negative psychological repercussions during rehabilitation. Reintegrated women frequently refuse to get into any marital relationships and, in some cases, choose to stay away from men entirely. This often leads to increasing social shame and social marginalization. Female child soldiers may face additional shame from their families or society as a result of having had extramarital affairs and children. They may be apprehensive about participating in DDR activities because it might bring attention to their ties to armed groups. DDR programs can also be too militarized in order to encourage female membership, such as by omitting to offer childcare, women’s clothing, or sanitary equipment.

Child soldiers go through primary socialization as part of a course, and as a result, they may be reluctant to change their identity from that of a member of the military. In grappling with integration’s social and psychological factors, a community-based psychological state is more valuable than Western-driven trauma rehabilitation. Emotional expression, community and household therapy, cultural rites, social restoration, and psychological integration are some of these ways. Physical health, as well as intellectual, psychological, and moral growth, are all aided by these psychosocial techniques.

Clinical psychologists are frequently able to teach locals to provide these therapies through collaborations with local NGOs, engaging the community more directly in the healing process rather than suppressing native healers and traditions. As a result, integration initiatives prioritize the ability of service members to create trusted and stable connections with adults as well as a family-based setting. Classical rituals, as well as family and community arbitration, can assist a child soldier in healing from highly traumatic events and resolving aggressive and violent conduct.

References

Mastey, D. (2019). The relative innocence of child soldiers. The Journal of Commonwealth Literature, 54(3), 352-366.

Pašagić, A. (2019). Between child soldiers and terrorists: Reintegrating child members of the Islamic state. Journal for Deradicalization, (20), 109-155.

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