Tools and Resources

Supporting Children and Youth in Refugee Families

Tens of millions of innocent human beings around the world have been forced to flee their homes in order to escape persecution. They are refugees. Some refugees live in the United States, attend our schools and live in our communities.

A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. Facing physical, mental, and emotional trauma, refugees confront amazing obstacles during their escape from persecution and war. The stories of their flight are remarkable and their strength and bravery are an inspiration. All refugee children have experienced the trauma of persecution and flight. Many have been separated from their families. However, most of them decline to give up hope.

Most children in refugee families function well in many domains and do not have more behavioral problems than the rest of the population. But when they do—depending on country of origin, generational and legal status, reason for emigration, immigration and resettlement experiences—it becomes especially challenging to untangle the range of factors that contribute to the family's capacity to protect and nurture their children to reach their potential.

Using what is known about effects of exposure to violence and traumatic experiences on children, (i.e. attachment problems, depression, conduct disorders, etc.), and combining this knowledge with an assessment of the impact on the child of lifetime exposure to violence, strategies can be developed to assist the family in supporting the child's development and well-being within their family and community.

The following are resources for supporting children and youth in refugee families:

Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence Section. VawNET
http://www.vawnet.org/special-collections/DVImmigrant.php

Intimate Partner Violence in Immigrant and Refugee Communities: Challenges, Promising Practices and Recommendations. Family Violence Prevention Fund
http://endabuse.org/userfiles/file/ImmigrantWomen/IPV_Report_March_2009.pdf

Journey of Hope: Cultural Orientation for Refugee Women in the United States. U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
http://www.refugees.org/resources/for-refugees--immigrants/cultural-orientation-resources/journey-of-hope-cultural.html

A Social Worker's Tool Kit for Working With Immigrant Families – Healing the Damage: Trauma and Immigrant Families in the Child Welfare System. American Humane Association
http://www.safestartcenter.org/pdf/pc-toolkit-trauma-immigrant-families.pdf

Websites:

Bridging Refugee Youth and Children's Services (BRYCS) www.BRYCS.org

American Humane Association's Migration and Child Welfare National Network (MCWNN) www.americanhumane.org

Family Violence Prevention Fund www.fvpf.org

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants http://www.refugees.org

National Child Traumatic Stress Network http://www.nctsn.org