by Arabella Adamson

Trigger Warning: This blog will contain information pertaining to war/conflict/violence.

Conflict is forcefully putting an end to millions of childhoods. Globally, 426 million children live in conflict zones. 

Armed conflict can be defined as any organised dispute which involves the use of weapons, violence and force. According to Save the Children, major conflict zones have doubled since 2010 and the impacts are suffered predominantly by children. Children who live in areas of armed conflict are more likely to experience psychological distress, loss of education and lack of access to basic resources. 

Currently, there is widespread media coverage highlighting stories about the conflict in Ukraine. Approximately, 10.7 million children have now been caught up in the fire. Civilian infrastructure has been destroyed leaving millions without essential services and forcing families to flee the country. This is, unfortunately, not a new story. The conflicts that have ravaged countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen in the past two decades continue to have devastating impacts on society. 

At present, numerous conflicts are occurring around the world involving state and non-state armed groups. Whilst these conflicts differ in terms of size and cause, a common factor joining them together is the extreme violations of human rights which are committed, often affecting women and children, the most vulnerable sectors of society, to a higher degree. 

The destructive effects of conflict on children include the all six of the United Nations’ violations against children both directly and indirectly, these include:

1. Killing and injuring of children

2. Recruitment and use of children by armed forces or armed groups

3. Abduction of children

4. Attacks on schools or hospitals

5. Refusal or lack of humanitarian support, like access to basic health care

6. Rape and other forms of sexual violence

Emotional effects of war can have lifelong impacts

The precise effect of any given conflict on a child’s health is difficult to determine and therefore ways to treat this remain limited. However, what is clear is that exposure to conflict and war can cause extreme stress in the majority of cases. This feeling of insecurity can have major psychological effects on children. Without a solid support system, these effects can last for a long period of time. 

Mike Hughesman, an educational psychologist for Service Children’s Education, has stated that, in some circumstances, children should be given advice on the lived experiences of families that have faced adversity and learned to deal with it successfully. Giving children a sense of hope for the future. 

Those children, whether unaccompanied or separated from their parents when escaping conflict, must be protected. Last week, the United Nations Emergency Children’s Fund (UNICEF) stated that more than one million refugees have been forced to flee Ukraine seeking safety and protection. Those children without parental care risk being exposed to more violence, abuse and exploitation.   

Armed conflict separates children from their families, evidenced by the sheer amount of unaccompanied children attempting to enter neighbouring countries. These children don't have official documents and therefore, authorities struggle to identify their age, risks, needs or, their rights to protection. 

Positive stories of resilience 

Aside from the clear negative impacts of war, some children are showing incredible resilience in Ukraine, for example utilising the power of music which brings a sense of comfort to many. A 9 year old boy named Maksym has been playing the piano to help those around him to momentarily forget about the war. 

Multiple videos have emerged of children gathered in bomb shelters, sat in a circle, singing the national anthem. Another video shows a young girl singing ‘Let it go’ from Disney’s Frozen, who was trying to lift the spirits of her community. Despite such a gruelling war, the resilience and morale of many Ukrainians remains high. 

How to speak to children about what is going on in the world

As situations become more volatile around the world, children may begin to experience feelings of anxiety. It can be extremely difficult to discuss topics like conflict with children. Many organisations have come up with advice to help children understand the consequences of war and conflict. Save the Children International, have noted 5 pieces of advice.

1. Make time and listen to children.

2. Tailor the conversation to the child - some children may need more details while others may be satisfied with less

3. Validate their feelings - speak to the child to see how they feel, make sure they know they are supported 

4. Reassure them - remind them that it is not their problem to solve

5. Give them a practical way to help - write letters, start fundraisers, give them the opportunity to get rid of the feeling of hopelessness.​​

There is also an extremely useful post including 4 relaxation tips  to help ease children’s stress levels in conflict zones, which you can also use on children at home. 

1. Lemon - an exercise which releases muscle tension. The idea is to pretend you are next to a lemon tree, reaching up to the tree with each hand to pick a lemon and squeeze them hard to get all the juice out. Squeeze and then throw the lemons on the floor and relax your hands. Repeat this until you have enough juice for a glass of lemonade. After your last squeeze, throw the lemon and shake out your hands to relax!

2. Lazy cat - an exercise which relieves muscle tension as well. Pretend you are a lazy cat that just woke up from a lovely long nap. Have a big yawn, and a meow! Stretch out your arms, legs and back slowly like a cat and relax. 

3. Flower and candle - an exercise which encourages deep breathing. Pretend you have a nice smelling flower in one hand and a candle in the other. Breathe in through your nose and smell the flower. Breathe out slowly through your mouth as you blow out the candle, repeat this a few times. 

4. Feather and statue - an exercise to release muscle tension. Pretend you are a feather floating through the air for about ten seconds. Suddenly you freeze and transform into a statue. Don't move! Then slowly relax as you transform back into the floating feather again. Repeat, making sure to finish as a floaty feather in a relaxed state. 

Using stories to help children’s mental health

Children’s stories can also be used to help children explore issues of war and conflict in an appropriate and nuanced way. For example, ‘My name is not refugee’ by Kate Milner which tells the story of a young child who has to leave their country and ‘The day war came’ by Nicola Davies which illustrates the impact of the refugee crisis on children. Many reviews have stated that the themes discussed in both books have aided conversations with children to help them develop empathy and understanding of forced migration. Both are stories of hope and solidarity and suggest how we can help those who are made most vulnerable by conflict. 

Our most recent internal safeguarding training session looked at the support available to Local Authorities specifically to ensure we are putting in place the best possible care for young people arriving in the UK from conflict. Three key learning points were:

1. Bring the local authority pledge to local authority workers' attention. 

2. Support access to necessary legal support. 

3. Support foster carers. 

At Equal Education, our tutors are doing some incredible work with young unaccompanied asylum seeking children. One of our tutors, Eileen, attended a refugee conference and met Guwali Passarlay, an Afghan refugee. Our tutor mentioned that he was truly inspiring and he has written a book called ‘the lightless sky’ which describes his journey to the UK, and his experiences here. Our tutors are going above and beyond to ensure they can help their students as best as possible. 

For additional resources supporting children’s mental health, visit our resources page.