Children and Political Violence from a Social Ecological Perspective: Implications from Research on Children and Families in Northern Ireland

Abstract

The effects on children of political violence are matters of international concern, with many negative effects well-documented. At the same time, relations between war, terrorism or other forms of political violence and child development do not occur in a vacuum. The impact can be understood as related to changes in the communities, families and other social contexts in which children live, and in the psychological processes engaged by these social ecologies. To advance this process-oriented perspective, a social ecological model for the effects of political violence on children is advanced. This approach is illustrated by findings and methods from an ongoing research project on political violence and children in Northern Ireland. Aims of this project include both greater insight into this particular context for political violence and the provision of a template for study of the impact of children’s exposure to violence in other regions of the world. Accordingly, the applicability of this approach is considered for other social contexts, including (a) another area in the world with histories of political violence, and (b) a context of community violence in the US.

How Legacies of Genocide Are Transmitted in the Family Environment: A Qualitative Study of Two Generations in Rwanda

“…Further empirical research that investigates and contributes to theorizing the cycle of violence in conflict-affected societies is important, for various reasons. Firstly, unlike in societies not affected by conflict, violence is not restricted to families and individuals but is also organized by state and non-state parties and occurs at societal level as well [42], and there is reason to assume that broader societal conflict may transfer to families from different socio-ecological levels and vice versa [43,44]. In conflict-affected countries, substantial higher levels of domestic or familial violence often occur [45,46].…”

Victimización, resiliencia y salud mental de estudiantes de universidad en Tamaulipas, México

“…Podemos diferenciar los tipos de violencia sufrida en delitos que se presentan en la comunidad y en actos violentos relacionados con los conflictos entre grupos del crimen organizado. Esto concuerda con lo mencionado por Cummings et al (2009), en el sentido de que la violencia comunitaria también es una manifestación de la tensión política entre grupos, que en este caso pertenecen al crimen organizado y emplean la violencia como estrategia de control político, económico y social.…”

Survivors of Political Violence: Conceptualizations, Empirical Findings, and Ecological Interventions

“…Violence of a political nature is sometimes inflicted upon communities in sectarian conflicts that politically advance religious ideologies (Cummings et al 2009;McAloney et al 2009). Political violence also includes international political violence that is manifested through temporary or prolonged invasion of another country, sabotage, assassination of foreign rulers, terrorist activities, and embargoes (Hill 1997).…”

“…The development of new scales typically is specific to large research endeavors, such as research programs or longitudinal studies (e.g., Cummings et al 2009;Thabet et al 2004;Thabet and Vostanis 1999). For example, studies pursued through the 'Gaza Community Mental Health Programme' in Palestine developed and employed the 'Gaza Traumatic Events Checklist' (Thabet et al 2004;Thabet and Vostanis 1999).…”

“…The psychological discourse focuses upon understanding the effects of political violence on individuals by observing them through the lens of Western diagnostic criteria for mental health (e.g., Basoglu et al 1994;Goenjian et al 2000;Paardekooper et al 1999;Thabet et al 2004;Thabet and Vostanis 1999). The ecological discourse, on the other hand, has a multilevel focus that includes individuals, families, neighborhoods and other institutional systems (Cummings et al 2009;Dubow et al 2009). Researchers employing an ecological lens do not negate the importance of considering the psychological effects on individuals, but emphasize that individuals should be regarded as constitutive elements in the multiple systems affected by political elements.…”