Returnees’ Perspectives of the Adverse Impact of Forced Displacement on Children

Itunu O. Ilesanmi (), Jasmine D. Haynes and Florence O. Ogundimu
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Itunu O. Ilesanmi: Department of Social Work, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614, USA
Jasmine D. Haynes: Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
Florence O. Ogundimu: Department of Social Work, College of Social Work, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA

Social Sciences, 2024, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-19

Abstract: Conflict-related forced displacement, characterized by the experiences of witnessing violent acts, bombing, torture, separation, and the execution of family members, can severely and negatively impact a child’s social determinants of health (SDOH). These experiences are both direct and indirect forms of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and urgent attention is needed to understand the impact of forced displacement on children, who are a vulnerable group, and to develop interventions for all systems that influence the child. This phenomenological qualitative study involved in-depth interviews based on the experiences of returnees ( n = 20), who are parents of children who experienced forced displacement. This study underscores the direct and indirect impacts of forced displacement on children, with two key themes identified from the data analysis, by concluding that forced displacement: (i) disrupts the positive SDOH of children, and (ii) children’s coping mechanisms are influenced by primary and secondary exposure to trauma. The direct effects are visible through the impact of forced displacement on children’s mental health as a result of exposure to traumatic material. In contrast, the indirect effects of forced displacement on children are influenced by its subsequential effect on their parents and their community. The study also illuminates systemic inequalities, with participants recommending steps that governmental and non-governmental bodies can take to address this phenomenon.

Keywords: adverse childhood experiences; ACEs; childhood adversity; minoritized populations; systemic inequality; social inequities; displaced person (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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