Recovery After Genocide: Understanding the Dimensions of Recovery Capital Among Incarcerated Genocide Perpetrators in Rwanda

Barnes-Ceeney, Kevin; Gideon, Lior; Leitch, Laurie; Yasuhara, Kento

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00637

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…Our results revealed that youth born to both genocide survivors and perpetrators experienced negative psychological effects. Among youth descended from genocide perpetrators, some whose parents were prisoners or ex-prisoners experienced psychological and social problems, including depression, trauma, anxiety disorders, thoughts of revenge, anti-social behaviors, frustration, shame, guilt, phobias [ 54 ], dropping out of school [ 55 ], loss of trust, loss of safety, poor parental affection, drug abuse, breaking laws and weakness to attend some of the policies or communities organized by the local, sexual reproductive health problems (such as unwanted pregnancies), problems in marital relationships, and domestic violence [ 56 ]. We found that without treatment, the severity of the symptoms increased, becoming even more acute for the children of genocide perpetrators.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of community-based sociotherapy interventions for the psychological well-being of Rwandan youths born to genocide perpetrators and survivors: analysis of the stories telling of a sociotherapy approach

Biracyaza¹,

Habimana²

2020

BMC Psychol

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Background Psychological well-being (PWB) refers to inter- and intra-individual levels of positive functioning that include one’s relatedness with others and self-referent attitudes that include one’s sense of mastery and personal growth. PWB consists of hedonism and eudaimonia building on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Sociotherapy is a community-based health intervention that contributes to the promotion of PWB worldwide. Starting from an analysis of trauma transmitted from the perpetrators and survivors of the Rwandan genocide to their descendants, this article is aimed at exploring the contribution of therapeutic sessions to PWB among youth. Method A qualitative study design based on shared testimonies was carried out. Field reports from the sociotherapists, written texts, and testimonies of changes presented in the conviviality meetings were analyzed using transactional analysis. We included 24 reflexive texts upon completion of 8 months of the therapeutic program. Results Results indicated that before sociotherapy sessions, youth born to genocide survivors and perpetrators had psychosocial distress, including low self-esteem, hopelessness, anxiety, stigma, thoughts of revenge, shame, depression, and antisocial behaviors. Sociotherapy significantly contributed to the reduction of these psychosocial problems. Participating youth reported feeling safe, trusted, respected, and healthier than before the sociotherapy. This intervention created inner healing, social cohesion, alleviated their sufferings of trauma, restored their families and contributed to community resilience. Results revealed that youth developed PWB, helping them to what appeared to be psychosocial problems as being potentially healthy, enhancing self-acceptance, and respecting humanity. Youth also became the vector for the reconciliation and reconstruction of their humanity. Conclusion Sociotherapy is a community health intervention that has an effective outcome on the personal well-being of of youth. This therapy impacted the individual, social, and familial resilience of youth who developed their capacity to regain and maintain health. The intervention restored their PWB, characterized by increased positive functioning specifically in the areas of autonomy, ecological mastery, individual growth, purpose in life, good relationships with others, and improved self-esteem.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of community-based sociotherapy interventions for the psychological well-being of Rwandan youths born to genocide perpetrators and survivors: analysis of the stories telling of a sociotherapy approach

Biracyaza¹,

Habimana²

2020

BMC Psychol

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“…Some churches have been transformed in site of memorial, and in front of others are built memorial sites. Barnes-Ceeney, et al, (2019), in their study on recovery after genocide, found that genocide against the Tutsi impacted victims, eyewitnesses, perpetrators, and those entering Rwanda post-genocide for nation reconstruction. The aim of this study was to examine the key components of recovery capital, social capital, cultural capital, physical capital, and human capital.…”

Section: Study Carried Out Bymentioning

confidence: 99%

Genocide against the Tutsi Experiences among Priests in Rwanda

Habimana,

Egunjobi,

Gichimu

2024

Int. J. Res. Publ. Rev.

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“…Statistics of 2004, estimate that 3.4% of the Rwandan prison population was comprised of female genocide perpetrators at that time, approximately 3000 women. 11 Prior studies conducted on the participation of women in the genocide in Rwanda confirmed that genocide crimes are mostly committed by men, especially when it comes to the actual physical acts of violence, rape and killings. The same studies found that women are considered to be more "gender-consonant" and include mainly looting or denouncement.…”

Section: The Experience Of Abandonmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In mid-1998, at the height of arrests, approximately 130,000 people were incarcerated in prisons and communal lockups, most of them charged with genocide or related crimes. [9][10][11] By collecting and analyzing the life stories of eight prisoners incarcerated for genocide crimes, this study tries to unravel the personal meaning making process of this particular group. The meaning making process includes how they construe, understand or make sense of their life experiences, their relationships and of their sense-of-self.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

<p>From Child to Genocide Perpetrator: Narrative Identity Analysis Among Genocide Prisoners Incarcerated in Muhanga Prison, Rwanda</p>

Bigabo¹,

Jansen²

2020

PRBM

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Background: This article focuses on the narrative identity of eight convicted genocide perpetrators in Rwanda, who participated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Narrative identity is the internalised and evolving story of the self that a person constructs to make sense and meaning out of his life. This study focused on the key autobiographical memories, present day experiences and the anticipated future of genocide perpetrators by exploring the self-perception of genocide perpetrators, in the context of their psychosocial rehabilitation. Methods: The Biographic Narrative Interpretive Methods (BNIM) were used for the collection and analysis of life stories of the eight genocide prisoners in Muhanga Prison. Results: The narratives of the respondents converged into five main themes: (a) the childhood experience of abandonment, (b) the process of ethnic self-discovery and positioning, (c) the perpetrator narrative, (d) the imprisoned self and (e) the imagined future self. Two main feelings from their narratives were outlined. Those feelings were the feeling of the abandoned and the feeling of the abandoner in the context of making sense and meaning out of their lives. Results revealed that the positioning of genocide perpetrators through their narratives can influence positively or negatively their rehabilitation. What is important in this article is the exploration of the account of the self-perception of the convicted genocide perpetrators throughout pre-and post-genocide Rwanda and the way they project their future self. Two main feelings from their narratives were outlined: the feeling of the abandoned and the feeling of the abandoner in the context of making sense and meaning out of their lives. Results revealed that positioning of genocide perpetrators through their narratives can influence positively or negatively their rehabilitation. Conclusion: Genocide perpetrators in the context of Rwanda continuously work on ways to acknowledge, rationalise or justify those acts as part of their biography. Interventions enabling their self-discovery can have a positive impact on their self as prisoners, their families and the community at large in post-genocide Rwanda.

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Recovery After Genocide: Understanding the Dimensions of Recovery Capital Among Incarcerated Genocide Perpetrators in Rwanda

Cited by 8 publications

References 79 publications

Contribution of community-based sociotherapy interventions for the psychological well-being of Rwandan youths born to genocide perpetrators and survivors: analysis of the stories telling of a sociotherapy approach

Contribution of community-based sociotherapy interventions for the psychological well-being of Rwandan youths born to genocide perpetrators and survivors: analysis of the stories telling of a sociotherapy approach

Genocide against the Tutsi Experiences among Priests in Rwanda

<p>From Child to Genocide Perpetrator: Narrative Identity Analysis Among Genocide Prisoners Incarcerated in Muhanga Prison, Rwanda</p>

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