Sierra Leone Case Study

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United Nations Children 's Emergency Fund, UNICEF founded various psychosocial treatment centers in Sierra Leone in an effort provide trauma treatment for child soldiers. The center incorporates the disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) program. The objective is to provide initial removal of children from hostile environment, provide physical and emotional support and care, and eventual assistance in the reintegrating into the community. The model consists of several structural phases (UNICEF, 2005). The study conducted by Bentacourt et al. (2010) evaluated and assessed thirty-nine children undergone the psychosocial treatment in Sierra Leone and found treatment was overall positive in the short-term but long-term maintenance …show more content…

Preferably, caretakers are someone within the family system of the child and extensive searches are conducted in order to find suitable families. Reintegration is the bulk of identified challenges faced when working with child soldiers. The treatment process can not only include the child but also the community in which they are returning (UNICEF, 2005). A need for community acceptance and attitudes towards the reintegration to improve the likelihood of rehabilitation by the child. One of the goals of the militia groups was to severe the relationship ties the children with the community, and as stated previously doing so through manipulation of survival resources, substance abuse and acting as caretakers. Subsequently, causing the development of cultural stigma surrounding child soldiers as immoral and dangerous. Emphasis is placed on the significance of psychosocial adjustment (Betancourt et al., 2010) Family-level interventions was considered a priority in the rehabilitation of child soldiers at the Benin Home (Preston, 2015, Bentancourt et al., 2013, 2011). The idea as reinforced by Betancourt et al. study (2013) strong evidence supports the need for development or reintroduction of relationships, particularly those with family members. This provides the child with additional support and care and reduced long term symptoms (Bentancourt,

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