The Psychosocial & Cultural Issues of War-Affected Children in Pakistan: An Integrated Socio-Ecological Study

Authors

  • Asif Ali Universiti Utara Malaysia
  • Fuziah Shaffie Universiti Utara Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21015/vtess.v14i2.460

Abstract

Pakistan facing the horrific chapter of a decade-long war against terrorism. The series of consistent violence drawn disparity in social infrastructure to this war-torn country. Lack of research on psychosocial and cultural issues of war-affected children in Pakistan demanded this study to deal with the interpretation of the participant's narrations. As very little attention has seen on the transitional justice for war-affected children by stakeholders. Their experiences directly concerned with the issues of war and its effects on children. Study samples were the residential caregivers, child protection officers and NGOs officials narrated their experience on the psychosocial and cultural issues of children. Results of their narrative revealed that war-affected children experienced education withdrawal, abandoned with unhappy life, and breakup from social cohesion in a cultural domain with profound coping challenges. War-affected children should be rebounded and intact with families make them resilience and can be healed with fewer efforts. The target interventions of government and non-government institutions should be organized and framed on the re-integration and de-radicalization plan for war-affected children within the socio-ecological framework (microsystem and macrosystem). The policies and practices of all stakeholders should be tailored and intervened on children rehabilitation and prevention services from further exploitations.

Author Biographies

Asif Ali, Universiti Utara Malaysia

School of Applied Psychology, Social Work & Policy. Ph.D. Research Scholar (Social Studies)

Fuziah Shaffie, Universiti Utara Malaysia

School of Applied Psychology, Social Work & Policy. Associate Professor (Social Work)

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Published

2018-12-12

How to Cite

Ali, A., & Shaffie, F. (2018). The Psychosocial & Cultural Issues of War-Affected Children in Pakistan: An Integrated Socio-Ecological Study. VFAST Transactions on Education and Social Sciences, 6(1), 48–56. https://doi.org/10.21015/vtess.v14i2.460