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Citation |
Amone-P'Olak K. Torture 2004; 14(1): 24-34. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2004, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims) |
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DOI |
unavailable |
PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
Psychological trauma can be understood to mean an event that overwhelms a person's sense of control, connection and meaning in life. It causes a person to experience overwhelming fear, helplessness and isolation. These events are the kinds that threaten the person or relatives in the sense of their existence, or by causing the destruction of things that are essential to their lives, such as the killing of their parents or relatives, burning of their houses and destruction of their property. This study reports on the situation in Northern Uganda, where children were abducted and coerced into guerrilla warfare. The strategy used was to "burn the bridges" between the children and their families and communities.To facilitate the rehabilitation process the study was intended to provide the social workers, counsellors and teachers at Gulu World Vision Trauma Centre (WVTC) with a handbook and guide to assess the signs and severity of traumatic reactions and the perception of the current situation among the children to give them an insight into the intervention needs of the children. Seventy-four out of 168 children, aged 8-18 and residents at the centre, comprising 21 girls (28.3%, mean age 13.4) and 53 boys (71.7%, mean age 14.2), were randomly selected for the study. The children were not only exposed to horrendous wartime events but were also forced to participate in heinous and ghastly activities while in rebel captivity. They manifested a broad range of signs of physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural traumatic reactions. The categories of traumatic reactions were: almost normal (11, 15%), mild traumatic reactions (34, 46%), moderately traumatic reactions (26, 35%) and severely traumatic reactions (3, 4%). The perception of the current situation among the children was that of hopelessness, lack of trust in the adults in the community, sometimes including their parents, and a bleak future. They were preoccupied with the fear of retribution, reabduction, absence of a source of livelihood, and when the war would end. The majority could not understand why it had all happened and why it had happened to them in particular. Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy, in addition to a holistic agenda sensitive to the cultural, psychosocial, emotional and developmental needs of the children in the context of the community, are recommended as intervention programmes. In addition, organised and appropriate tension-relieving activities such as games and sports, dances, culturally appropriate counselling and therapy are recommended, in addition to the establishment of community support networks and an education system cognisant of their special individual needs. Above all, technical and entrepreneurial skills training and micro-credit facilities are proposed as part of the intervention. Language: en |