Transmission of violence between former child soldiers and their children: a comparison with non-conscripted civilian families in Burundi

Background.Suicide risk reduction is crucial for 15–29-year-old youth, who account for 46% of suicide deaths in low- and middle-income countries. Suicide predictors in high-resource settings, specifically depression, do not adequately predict suicidality in these settings. We explored if interpersonal violence (IPV) was associated with suicidality, independent of depression, in Nepal.Methods.A longitudinal cohort of child soldiers and matched civilian children, enrolled in 2007 after the People's War in Nepal, were re-interviewed in 2012. The Depression Self-Rating Scale and Composite International Diagnostic Interview assessed depression and suicidality, respectively. Non-verbal response cards were used to capture experiences of sexual and physical IPV.Results.One of five participants (19%) reported any lifetime suicidal ideation, which was associated with sexual IPV, female gender, former child soldier status and lack of support from teachers. Among young men, the relationship between sexual IPV and suicidality was explained by depression, and teacher support reduced suicidality. Among young women, sexual IPV was associated with suicidality, independent of depression; child soldier status increased suicidality, and teacher support decreased suicidality. Suicide plans were associated with sexual IPV but not with depression. One of 11 female former child soldiers (9%) had attempted suicide.Conclusion.Sexual IPV is associated with suicidal ideation and plans among conflict-affected young women, independent of depression. Reducing suicide risk among women should include screening, care, and prevention programs for sexual IPV. Programs involving teachers may be particularly impactful for reducing suicidality among IPV survivors.

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Former Child Soldiers

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Fifty Years and Beyond ◽

10.4324/9781315223469-17 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 147-147

Author(s):

Kofi A. Annan ◽

Mary Robinson

Keyword(s):

Child Soldiers ◽

Former Child Soldiers

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Maintaining a Safety Net and Peace for Former Child Soldiers in Africa

Cultivating a Culture of Nonviolence in Early Childhood Development Centers and Schools - Advances in Early Childhood and K-12 Education ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-7476-7.ch004 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 56-81

Author(s):

Florence Nyemba ◽

Rufaro Chitiyo

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Peace Education ◽

Safety Net ◽

Child Soldiers ◽

Human Consciousness ◽

Education Programs ◽

The World Bank ◽

At Risk Children ◽

Former Child Soldiers ◽

Challenges And Opportunities

This chapter focuses on the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of peace education programs in Africa. Peace education programs are used widely to create peaceful environments for at-risk children. Their intended goals are to end violence through modeling human consciousness to resolve conflicts peacefully and to provide children with a stable socioeconomic future. Using a systematic review of literature, the authors examine how humanitarian agencies with support from the World Bank utilize peace education programs to create safety nets for former child soldiers in Africa. The challenges and opportunities of such programs are examined. The authors then propose for the adoption of a community-based participatory practice to facilitate the sustainability of peace education programs. The chapter will benefit at-risk children in war-torn African regions and all stakeholders involved in the creation of safe environments for children.

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Informal and Formal Supports for Former Child Soldiers in Northern Uganda

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1100/2012/825028 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sofie Vindevogel ◽

Michael Wessells ◽

Maarten De Schryver ◽

Eric Broekaert ◽

Ilse Derluyn

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Armed Conflict ◽

Survey Design ◽

Child Soldiers ◽

Potential Contribution ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Former Child Soldiers ◽

Chi Square Analysis

This study aimed to evaluate the potential contribution of informal community initiatives and formal interventions in support of former child soldiers' resilience in the wake of armed conflict. Using a cross-sectional survey design, a stratified random sample of 330 formerly recruited and 677 nonrecruited young people was consulted about their perspective on desirable support for former child soldiers provided by close support figures, communities, humanitarian organizations, and governments. Data analysis occurred by conducting qualitative thematic analysis and statistical chi-square analysis to explore clusters, similarities, and variations in reported support across the different “agents,” hereby comparing the perspectives of formerly recruited and non-recruited participants. The results indicated that formerly recruited and non-recruited participants had comparable perspectives that call for the contribution of various informal and formal support systems to former child soldiers' human capacities and the communal sociocultural fabric of war-affected societies. This highlights the importance of community-based, collective, and comprehensive support of formerly recruited young people and their surroundings in the aftermath of armed conflict.

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