Gender-Related Challenges in Educational Interventions with Syrian Refugee Parents of Trauma-Affected Children in Turkey

Abstract

Since 2012, more than three million Syrian refugees have fled to Turkey. While these refugees vary in socioeconomic background, it is notable that 50% of Syrian refugee children in Turkey display symptoms of post-traumatic stress and that more than 663,138 of these children between the ages of six and seventeen are not enrolled in school. For those children who are in school, high levels of trauma have significant implications for the education system as trauma alters the brain and affects the way children learn. A Global Voice for Autism is an international non-governmental relief and development organization that exists to equip teachers and families in conflict-affected communities. Its intent is to support the development and success of children with autism and trauma-related behavioral challenges in their classrooms, home, and communities. The instabilities inherent in the Syrian refugee experience pose a number of challenges to the organization’s effective implementation of programming. The experiences of refugees in Turkey are highly gendered. Therefore, a qualitative gender analysis was conducted to address and better understand the challenges faced when carrying out these educational interventions. The article examines domestic violence, sexual violence, and masculinity as gender-driven constructs that influence how refugees experience trauma. In addition, structural issues in existing support systems all present significant challenges to Syrian refugee parents that impede effective program implementation. It is imperative to assess structural issues in existing support services to address these challenges and to successfully carry out meaningful and impactful programming. This Brief Report provides a series of recommendations in order to ameliorate these challenges and increase the efficacy of educational interventions with Syrian refugee parents of trauma-affected and vulnerable children in Turkey. It concludes with a call for policy changes that protect refugees from deportation when accessing support services and a network of services that do not require residency permits. It calls for increased integration of parent trauma support in educational intervention trainings and the creation of safe spaces where mothers and fathers can discuss their own trauma and challenges in the hope of significantly enhancing program efficacy.

Revisiting Resilience: Case of Syrian Children in Turkish Education Ecosystem

“…Actually, gender differences in the pathways to resilience building of children were explored and dramatic gender differences were identi ed in resilience building process. In con ict, natural disasters, and other emergencies, girls face speci c vulnerabilities and barriers that can frequently prevent their access to education (Rohwerder, 2016;Diamond & Oberg, 2019; Hattar-Pollara, 2019).…”

Refugees' gendered experiences of education in Europe since 2015: A scoping review

“…Similarly, Fincham (2020, p. 342) found that the educational aspirations of young Syrian refugee women in Türkiye (as well as Jordan and Lebanon) were shaped by ‘complex and often contradictory social and economic factors’—such as their parents encouraging them to marry early to ‘transfer the responsibility of their upkeep … to their husbands’ when it was difficult to find acceptable work. In Türkiye, Diamond and Oberg (2019) also noted the difficulty of carrying out educational interventions for trauma‐affected children for family‐related reasons. They noted that the primary causes of attrition from their programmes were gendered and linked to issues around perceived challenges to masculinity: such as domestic and/or sexual violence and spouses denying access.…”

“…For example, Diamond and Oberg (2019, p. 5) found that ‘structural issues within Turkey exacerbate the impact of trauma and domestic and sexual violence in the Syrian refugee population’. This is due to language barriers and a lack of (very expensive) residence permits, which prevent access to psychological support services otherwise theoretically free in public hospitals.…”

Prevalence of Malnutrition among Syrian Refugee Children from Lebanon

“…The World Health Organization (WHO) [ 5 ] has estimated that 34% of Syrian refugees reside in Lebanon, with 54% of the refugees under eighteen years old. The available literature indicates that diseases of the skin [ 6 ]; digestive [ 7 ], respiratory [ 8 ] and circulatory systems [ 9 , 10 ]; parasitic diseases [ 11 ]; mental disorders [ 12 , 13 ]; and malnutrition [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ] are commonly present among Syrian refugees. Currently, little is known about the impact of prolonged displacement and life in refugee camps on the health of children, who are the most vulnerable group.…”