Working with Youth
Children who are refugees or torture survivors often experience many effects as a result of trauma. In addition to the organizations and resources listed elsewhere, the following specifically address issues related to youth.
Webinar
| Date | Title |
| 01-23-2008 | Serving Children Who Are Torture Survivors |
Books
Minefields in Their Hearts: The Mental Health of Children in War and Communal Violence by Roberta Apfel (Editor), Bennett Simon (Editor)
Young Children and Trauma: Intervention and Treatment by Joy D. Osofsky (Editor)
Especially recommended chapter from the above book is the chapter entitled: Rainbows of Tears, Souls Full of Hope: Cultural Issues Related to Young Children and Trauma by Chandra Ghosh Ippen and Marva L. Lewis
My Name is…Stories and Art by Young Refugees in Minnesota Schools click this link to down the entire book (long download) or click here to order a hard copy of the book from The Center for Victims of Torture
Developed for teachers to increase their understanding of refugee student experiences or to be used with mainstream students to increase their awareness of their peers’ experience. It can also be used by trained professionals in their work with refugee youth to help refugee students see that they are not alone in their experiences.
New Tactics in Human Rights Tactical notebook about working with child soldiers in post-war Mozambique
Articles
APA Task Force on the Psychosocial Effects of War on Children and Families Who Are Refugees From Armed Conflict Residing in the United States. Resilience of Refugee Children After War.
Bridging Refugee Youth & Children's Services. Giving Young Refugee Children a Head Start. BRYCS Brief, Fall 2011.
Gibson, K. (1989) Children in Political Violence. Social Science and Medicine 28(7). (Link is to abstract.)
Porterfield, K. and Akinsulure-Smith, A. Therapeutic Work with Children and Families. In Smith, H., Keller, A., & Lhewa, D., (Eds.) "...Like a Refugee Camp on First Avenue:" Insights and Experiences from the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture. (pp. 299-335). New York, New York.
Qurioga, J. "Torture in Children." Torture. Vol 19, No. 2 (2009): 66-87. (Link is to full article PDF on IRCT site. This entire volume of TORTURE is devoted to the issue of working with youth.)
Links
Amnesty International
The Web site of Amnesty International, a world leader in the fight to eradicate torture, contains upwards of 10,000 human rights documents. They are involved in a campaign against the use of child soldiers. Visitors can search for articles and resources related to children’s issues.
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services
Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services (BRYCS) is a national clearinghouse and technical assistance program whose primary purpose is to help address the needs of refugee youth, children, and families. They offer a clearinghouse of resources including articles, search engines, and other ways to access information helpful to addressing the needs of refugee youth. They also include relevant targeted resources for professionals, researchers/policymakers, educators/parents, and program managers.
Children’s Defense Fund
The Children’s Defense Fund is a private non governmental organization that advocates for the needs of children. They promote prevention and education efforts, and they offer access to many links and resources related to the needs of children.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network is a collaboration of treatment centers from all over the US who have formed a coalition. It is a federally-funded program which helps to improve the quality, effectiveness, and availability of therapeutic services for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. The Web site offers a resource center with information for parents & caregivers, professionals, and schools. It also offers various articles offering education and best practices related to trauma.
Specifically, see the NCTSN's Measures Review Database for reviews of tools that measure childrens' experiences of trauma, their reactions to it, and other mental health and trauma-related issues. For any tool you select, we encourage you to carefully read about the tool before adapting and using it.
Save the Children
Save the Children is an international program addressing the needs of children throughout the world. They have developed a compendium of resources called Action for the Rights of Children (ARC). Assistance for direct providers of care as well as for those interested in institutional and/or programmatic support is included on the Web site. ARC offers curricula and lesson plans for working with affected youth.
The Sidran Traumatic Stress Foundation
The Sidran Institute is a nonprofit organization that addresses the needs of people who have experienced traumatic life events. The organization offers training possibilities, psychoeducational resources, and articles. The Sidran Resource Center also offers access to database materials related to traumatic stress in adults and children.
United Nations Children’s Fund
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), founded in 1946, advocates and works for the protection of children's rights, to help the young meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established in 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees worldwide. Their Web site contains information about the plight of refugees as well as country-specific information (e.g., maps, statistics).
Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children
The Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children addresses the rights of displaced women and children. They offer access to reports (including country reports) and current news.
