Informal and formal supports for former child soldiers in Northern Uganda.
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.
Department of Orthopedagogics, Centre for Children in Vulnerable Situations, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium. sofie.vindevogel@ugent.be
Sofie
S
Vindevogel
Michael
M
Wessells
Maarten
M
De Schryver
Eric
E
Broekaert
Ilse
I
Derluyn
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014454:Uganda; D014857:Warfare; D055815:Young Adult