Child welfare and the UNHCR: a case for pre-resettlement refugee parenting education

Williams, Nombasa

doi:10.1080/09614524.2012.630980

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 17 publications

(14 reference statements)

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“…However, parenting-related struggles start at the very early stages of refuge, and the parents’ role is essential in supporting the child's experience across all stages. Interventions can work better when they support parents early on and when they are tailored to the specific stages and contexts of refugee parents’ experience (Williams, 2012).…”

Section: Parental Factors Parenting and Developmental Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trauma and resilient functioning among Syrian refugee children

Yaylaci

2018

Dev Psychopathol

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Following the civil war in Syria, there has been a growing interest in the impact of war, violent conflict, and refuge on the development and mental health of refugee children in general and Syrian refugee children in particular. The objective of this paper is threefold: (a) to critically review the existing literature on the psychological functioning of Syrian refugee children, with a particular focus on those residing in the urban areas or camps in Turkey; (b) to identify the main theoretical and methodological problems of this emerging literature; and (c) to suggest guidelines for how to improve research and practice in this field. The reviewed literature predominantly focuses on psychological trauma, trauma-related symptomatology or other maladaptive functioning in children, and psychosocial interventions conducted toward alleviating these issues. This paper will summarize the research findings in the above-mentioned topics to discern what can be known from the existing literature on Syrian refugee children.

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Section: Parental Factors Parenting and Developmental Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trauma and resilient functioning among Syrian refugee children

Yaylaci

2018

Dev Psychopathol

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“…Based on the concerns outlined above, international institutions such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UNICEF have called for the provision of programs to improve the parenting skills of refugees with children, starting as early as during their stay in temporary shelters [ 32 ]. The goal is to teach parents strategies that will facilitate interactions with their children and enable them to handle everyday annoyances in a positive way, despite their own traumatization and despite the considerable challenges that their children may be presenting.…”

Section: Support For Traumatized Familiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychosocial problems in traumatized refugee families: overview of risks and some recommendations for support services

Fegert

Diehl

Leyendecker

et al. 2018

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health

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This article is an abridged version of a report by an advisory council to the German government on the psychosocial problems facing refugee families from war zones who have settled in Germany. It omits the detailed information contained in the report about matters that are specific to the German health system and asylum laws, and includes just those insights and strategies that may be applicable to assisting refugees in other host countries as well. The focus is on understanding the developmental risks faced by refugee children when they or family members are suffering from trauma-related psychological disorders, and on identifying measures that can be taken to address these risks. The following recommendations are made: recognizing the high level of psychosocial problems present in these families, providing family–friendly living accommodations, teaching positive parenting skills, initiating culture-sensitive interventions, establishing training programs to support those who work with refugees, expanding the availability of trained interpreters, facilitating access to education and health care, and identifying intervention requirements through screening and other measures.

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“…There are multiple stages in the process of forced displacement. Therefore, the consideration of the refugee journey as a whole is important (Williams, 2012). Williams (2008) applied an ecological framework to refugee parenting, which highlighted the ecological complexity faced by refugee parents who must adapt to multiple environments.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…She identified four stages: Country of origin; preflight; flight; and resettlement (Williams, 2008). At each stage, parents face various life-events and environmental stressors that impact the family system and shape parenting (Williams, 2012).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is a need for evidence to inform how best to work with refugee parents and children from an early intervention and resilience perspective (Calam, 2016; Wessells, 2017). Understanding parents’ experiences, needs, and the complexities faced during the process to further prevention and intervention agendas are crucial (Bala & Kramer, 2010; Williams, 2012). The study of protective processes broadens the focus of refugee family research and informs support (Ungar, 2003).…”

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confidence: 99%

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The parenting process in Syrian refugees: A grounded theory study.

Huntley¹,

Ulph²,

El-Khani³

et al. 2021

Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology

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A key concern of peace psychology is to develop a robust evidence base that informs those working with groups who have experienced the impact of war and conflict (Cohrs et al., American Psychologist, 2013, 68, 590). With rates of refugees forcibly displaced now the highest on record the development of psychosocial interventions designed to promote well-being is essential (Hynie, Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 2018, 24, 265; UNHCR, UNHCR projected global resettlement needs, 2020). This is highly relevant for refugee parents who must parent through multiple adversities and transitions. Effective parenting is an important protective factor for the psychological functioning of refugee children. The design of support for families, to be available during displacement and the integration process, is essential because inclusion and participation in new settings Syrian refugee parenting through transition; from being forced to leave Syria to eventually being resettled in the U.K. In-depth interviews with six professionals who worked with refugee parents and six Syrian refugee parents were conducted and analyzed. Secondary data with narratives from three Syrian parents and transcripts from a parent focus group of nine parents were analyzed. We theorized an active process of resilient parenting in recovery. The process comprised of three phases: Contracting, reforming, and moving forward. Parents moved between phases at different points in their journey. A core role for language was identified. The findings suggest that the development and use of resilience-based narratives may be helpful. This would represent a relatively resource-light intervention to support parental capacity. Public Significance StatementA central aim of peace psychology is to produce evidence and theory that could mitigate the impact of conflict and violence. An important area is in policy development and the provision of services to address the impact of conflict upon refugees and their children. We are currently witnessing what has been referred to as a displacement crisis, with the highest level of forced displacement on record. Approximately half of the current refugee population are children under 18 years of age. There is an increasing global concern for this group. Quality of parenting is recognized as an important protective and promotive factor for their well-being. Our study offers a theory that conceptualizes the parenting process of Syrian refugees forced to flee their country and resettle in the U.K. Our findings provide support for the development of resilience-based interventions to support refugee parents' capacity. These approaches could be informed by relational and solution-focused concepts. Interventions that draw upon the strength-based narratives that parents already use with their children would be relatively resource-light. They would move away from a narrow, distress focus by including protective and promotive factors.

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Child welfare and the UNHCR: a case for pre-resettlement refugee parenting education

Cited by 11 publications

References 17 publications

Trauma and resilient functioning among Syrian refugee children

Trauma and resilient functioning among Syrian refugee children

Psychosocial problems in traumatized refugee families: overview of risks and some recommendations for support services

The parenting process in Syrian refugees: A grounded theory study.

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