Growing up in armed Groups : trauma and aggression among child soldiers in DR Congo

Hermenau, Katharin; Hecker, Tobias; Maedl, Anna; Schauer, Maggie; Elbert, Thomas

Growing up in armed Groups : trauma and aggression among child soldiers in DR Congo

Dateien

Hermenau_251792.pdfGröße: 131.81 KBDownloads: 255

Datum

2013

Autor:innen

Maedl, Anna

Open Access-Veröffentlichung

Open Access Gold

Sammlungen

Psychologie

Publikationstyp

Zeitschriftenartikel

Publikationsstatus

Published

Erschienen in

European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 2013, 4(1), 21408. ISSN 2000-8198. eISSN 2000-8066. Available under: doi: 10.3402/ejpt.v4i0.21408

Zusammenfassung

Background:

Child soldiers are often both victims and perpetrators of horrendous acts of violence. Research with former child soldiers has consistently shown that exposure to violence is linked to trauma-related disorders and that living in a violent environment is correlated with enhanced levels of aggression.

Objective:

To gain more insight into the experiences and the mental health status of former child soldiers, we conducted a survey with N=200 former child soldiers and adult combatants in the DR Congo.

Methods:

We conducted semi-structured interviews concerning military experiences, experienced and perpetrated violence, and mental health.

Results:

Former child soldiers reported more experienced and perpetrated violence, a greater severity of trauma-related suffering, as well as higher appetitive aggression than adult ex-combatants. Appetitive aggression was related to more perpetrated violence, higher military ranks, voluntary recruitment and higher rates of reenlistments in former child soldiers.

Conclusions:

Our results indicate that growing up in an armed group is related to higher levels of trauma- related disorders and aggressive behavior. This may explain the challenge of reintegrating former child soldiers. It is thus important to consider mental health problems, particularly trauma-related disorders and aggressive behavior, of former child soldiers for designing adequate reintegration programs.

Fachgebiet (DDC)

150 Psychologie

Schlagwörter

PTSD, child soldiers, aggression, violence, DRC

Zitieren

ISO 690

HERMENAU, Katharin, Tobias HECKER, Anna MAEDL, Maggie SCHAUER, Thomas ELBERT, 2013. Growing up in armed Groups : trauma and aggression among child soldiers in DR Congo. In: European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 2013, 4(1), 21408. ISSN 2000-8198. eISSN 2000-8066. Available under: doi: 10.3402/ejpt.v4i0.21408

BibTex

@article{Hermenau2013Growi-25179,
  year={2013},
  doi={10.3402/ejpt.v4i0.21408},
  title={Growing up in armed Groups : trauma and aggression among child soldiers in DR Congo},
  number={1},
  volume={4},
  issn={2000-8198},
  journal={European Journal of Psychotraumatology},
  author={Hermenau, Katharin and Hecker, Tobias and Maedl, Anna and Schauer, Maggie and Elbert, Thomas},
  note={Article Number: 21408}
}

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