Post 6: War Trauma Children

When we say war, what comes to our mind? Of-course unpeaceful, noisy, soldiers, guns, attack, fight, death, bloodshed, enemy, end of the world, etc. Their are many negative words that comes in our mind when we say war. Everyone doesn't want a war because war affects everything, like the beauty of city, the life of civilization, the lives of people, and the children who witness war or hears the firing guns. Not just it affects the normal life of children but it also affect the psychological mind of children which they can bring until they grown up. Until this affect of war became a fear that can be deepen and can goes to trauma disorder. As I said to my first blog that the earlier the trauma begins, the more impact it affects.

WAR? It is a state or period of fighting between countries or groups; a situation which people or groups compete with or fight against each other; a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism. This definition is according to Merriam Webster in the website of merriam-webster.

War Trauma? 
According to the article of New book on War Trauma and it's Aftermath posted by Medical Condition News| Healthcare News from the website of News Medical  stated that War Trauma has long been associated with PSTD, a term coined in 1980 to explain the post war impact on Vietnam veterans. While in the website of Go Mentor stated that War Trauma is another type of trauma and is one of the first ones recognized- is that caused by war. 

The symptoms of war trauma are similar to those found in other types of trauma. They revolve around the changes that occur in the brain while deployed. For example, soldiers need to think and react quickly to survive. Staying in this state of mind long periods of time isn't really necessary or helpful in civilian social settings.

I found a website named Unicef and it has an article, entitled The Trauma of War by Unicef Organizations. They conducted a survey of a children who had been traumatized by war in different ways on Sarajevo on 1993. It stated that almost one child in four has been wounded in conflict, UNICEF conducted a survey of 1,505 in the summer 1993. They found that 97 percent had experienced shelling nearby, 29 percent felt unbearable sorrow, 20 percent experience terrifying dreams. Some 55 percent had been shot by snipers, and 66 percent had been in the situation where they thought they would die.While in Angola survey on 1995 found that 66 percent of children had seen people being murdered, 91 percent saw dead bodies, 67 percent saw people being tortured.

They also stated that true horrific experience are so deeply disturbing, so overwhelming, that a child will try to suppress bad memories rather than confront them. But many trauma researchers believe that it is the repressions of memories and feelings that is the heart of trauma suffering in both the short and long term. 

"Time does not heal trauma. A child must be helped to express suffering and to confront bad memories, with the support and guidance of an empathic and informed adult. The very act of talking or writing about, or even acting out, traumatic events is a way for a child to begin healing and start on the road recovery" stated by UNICEF Organization. 

 War Trauma Story of a Child:

Mustafa meets with a Mercy Corps team member to talk
about his experience in Syria (war).

There was one worker at the activity centre of Mercy Corps Youth Program, they were helping people who had been traumatized at war in Syria especially a children. While on the activity of children was going on, he noticed a little boy who was standing alone and staring at nothing. He approached the little boy if he was ok but the boy didn't look him. As he was going closer to the little boy, he noticed that this boy had patches of grey, frail, and his brows was furrowed of worries. He was clearly a little boy but looked old. This little boy name was Mustafa. 

When the worker asked him to tell what happened in Syria he didn't answer the worker. He just look away and pretend not to hear. His eyes were dark and unreadable. He seemed to be holding terrible secrets inside. The worker tried another track to asked him if he had any sister or brothers. Slowly Mustafa replied an answer. Mustafa was living in a home on large plot of land at Syria. There family is near at weapons factory that was under the control of the government forces. Mustafa spent his days at school with his friends and taking care of his lambs. For the first two years of the conflict, there's no any significant of having a war but after 6 months, the Syrian army began to attack to try to take over the weapon's factory. The family found themselves that they're in the middle of war.

Mustafa recalled how the bombs falling near their house, her mother scream, and sisters crying. So the family decided to leave. Mustafa tried to go out to gather his lambs but his father forbade him and Mustafa sit silently and holding back a flood of tears. They arrive at Lebanon and rent a small space house. Mustafa and his siblings was not attending school the time they arrive at Lebanon. So Mustafa spend his days helping his parents. He misses his lamb and lonely of having no friends.

The time Mustafa was interviewed was the first time attending in Mercy Corps youth Program. And when Mustafa was leaving, he always promise that he'd back for the next session.

"The reality is that we don't know when the crisis will end. But when it does, these children will be the ones left to rebuild their lives and country" stated by Cassandra Nelson.

Mustafa's story was came from the article of Syria's Traumatized refugee Children will be the ones to Rebuild their Country by Cassandra Nelson in the website of CNN. 

It's hard to know that there's many children who experience suffering in psychological, financial, and physical. At their young and innocent mind they're already saw, hear, and feel the hardships in their country. Others are affected physically and some are died. What I feel during reading the story of children who had been traumatized by war was like hurting my heart. Because imagine, at their young age they had been tortured emotionally, had been lost their innocent mind, and loosing the opportunity to enjoy being a child. Because for me, the most enjoyable time of my life was being a child coz I don't feel any worries, pressure, frightened, all I do was play with friends, laugh, feel the love of my parents, and receive many toys and gifts. I was too blessed for having not experience that.

I was like "What kind of government does Syria have?".  Syria's government should checked first if their was family living in war affected areas before they decided to attacked they're enemies. What are happening in the world now? Can you imagine that.

This photo is a 6 years old child, draws violent and painful memories of Syria in his work book.

As long as you can protect a children and avoid them in painful experience, do it. Though your not a parent or grandparent, we must help each other to protect them. Because children is our future.

"Children are our most valuable resource." stated by Herbert Hoover (31st President of USA)