From them to us: How developmental trauma is significant in the life of children in asylums

Abstract

This study aims to enhance understanding of the trauma backgrounds of children in asylums and to offer possibilities for healing. Studying chronic or developmental trauma is a relatively new and growing field of psychology which offers important changes of perspective and possibilities of treatment. It is a valuable theoretical framework in the urgent global issue of refugees and asylum seekers. The concept explains how the inside scars of fleeing one’s home or of other harmful events, often determines children’s future. These scaring events can occur in these children’s home country, or during their trip, but even in the countries where they arrive, where we are in a way responsible for them.  Beyond the moral obligation to help these vulnerable children, I argue that in the long term, it is in our best interests to offer them help by professionals trained in trauma consciousness in all the institutions or system where they are handled. Education systems for instance could be key to the acculturalisation and integration process. Schools provide the basis for the right to education, structure, and community to provide knowledge and healing through relationships for the benefit of future generations. Raising consciousness and leaving hostile attitudes and rhetoric behind can be beneficial to newcomers but also to natives. I argue that we should replace the concept of differentiating, and talking about several isolated groups like natives, refugees, migrants etc. and begin to accept that in the perspective of the future, we are parts of the same “group” as a society.