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(see photos at bottom of this page) At the international conference addressing the “Prevention of Violence in Communities, Schools, and Other Institutions” June 3-6, 2004 , Drs Lisa Aronson and Paula Gutlove embarked upon an exploration of the adolescent phase of development in severely stressed societies. The workshop was attended by 16 psychosocial providers from the Balkans, the North Caucasus, Russia, and Iraq . The workshop had three segments: a presentation by Paula Gutlove on “psychosocial healing” and its use with traumatized populations; a presentation by Lisa Aronson on adolescent vulnerability; and group members’ responses regarding adolescent vulnerability in the Balkans and Iraq . Conference Workshop: presented by IntroductionAdolescence is the end stage of childhood. It is also a stage which is a repository for emotional problems that pre-date it, a phase of inner struggle and resistance to outer adaptation. If the road has been smooth up until adolescence, the adolescent is more likely to create an effective bridge into adulthood. However, if the route has been troubled, the bridge is fragile, and entry into adulthood is compromised. In societies that have been afflicted with severe stress, where parents have been extraordinarily burdened and institutions have been destroyed, adolescents are at risk for maladjustment, which in turn endangers the societal structure. The adolescent phase of development in severely stressed societies needs attention. We are setting out to achieve an understanding of the impact of trauma and societal disruption upon this phase and out of this to develop structures and approaches which mitigate adolescent derailment and enhance the possibilities for healthy entry into adulthood. Psychosocial Healing (Section presented by Paula Gutlove) Rebuilding a society in the aftermath of war requires the rebuilding of physical and political structures. It also requires psychological healing and empowerment of the survivors, and their reconnection within a functional society. A process of social reconstruction is needed to rebuild the fabric of human interactions that allow a society to function, while also meeting immediate psychological and social needs. In a post-conflict environment, where the stress of violent conflict has affected individuals and societal relationships, social reconstruction requires a healing process that addresses both psychological and social wounds. Psychosocial healing is such a process. It promotes the psychological and social health of individuals, families and community groups. It strives to address the individual’s psychological health, her ability to function in relationship to others (i.e., relational health), and the relational health of the society as a whole. Mental-health practitioners and others who work in post-conflict societies with traumatized groups have developed new treatment options for social healing. These options reflect an understanding that trauma does not occur in a social vacuum, and cannot heal without supportive social interactions. Field practitioners working on social reconstruction in post-war environments have integrated trauma-healing modalities with social-support activities in order to provide psychosocial healing throughout a society that has been torn apart by violence. Trauma healing should be differentiated from trauma recovery for two important reasons. First, recovery implies returning to a place that one has been to before. However, in the case of trauma it is not possible to return to the pre-trauma state, because traumatic events forge an indelible imprint on those who are traumatized. Second, a post-war society can find in trauma healing an opportunity to recreate itself, replacing pre-war ways of interacting and pre-war belief systems. A post-war society has the opportunity to recreate itself as a healthy, peaceful, sustainable society, with appropriate psychosocial healing as a component of social-reconstruction activities. Adolescent Vulnerability in Severely Stressed Societies(Section presented by Lisa Aronson) Even under stable societal conditions, an adolescent feels particularly powerless since he is beginning to “stand on his own two feet”: separating from the family of origin and having to develop careers and work outside of the family; forming ties to a partner outside the immediate family; and taking on responsibilities for the family rather than being the one protected by the family. Simultaneously, the adolescent is experiencing a range of internal pressures and stimulations. This is a vulnerable and fluid developmental phase. Under these pressures, the adolescent seeks a feeling of inner sameness not fluidity, a feeling of powerfulness not vulnerability, a feeling of belonging not isolation, and feelings of heightened and moderated stimulation. Under the additional pressure of a severely stressed society, a powerful attachment to a defined extremist identity can serve as a defense against anxiety. Extremist group affiliation can provide the adolescent with protection from loneliness and isolation and create a strong sense of exclusivity and being a part an in-group. The security of “guiding principles”, which bind anxiety anchor the adolescent and mitigate against self-doubt, loneliness, anomie, confusion, and variations in self esteem and mood. This presentation described: the psychosocial phase of adolescence from 15-25 years of age; the function of this extended period of adolescence; the social-emotional- and neurological factors which make this phase of development particularly sensitive to both malevolent and beneficent influences; the differential impacts of acute and prolonged trauma on the adolescent’s development; what ‘vulnerability’ and ‘resilience’ mean in the context of a ‘powerful environment’; and the outline of adolescent responses to traumatic experiences from increased anxiety and upsurge of impulses to the solidification of adaptive and maladaptive defenses; and the shape that parenting of adolescents takes in a traumatized population. Current Thinking by Indigenous Professional Regarding Adolescent Vulnerability in Bosnia , Iraq , Kosovo, and Macedonia and Suggestions for Improvements. Bosnia : The society has been severely weakened by the war and other factors creating a large population of internally displaced people, high unemployment, small salaries for the employed, readily available inexpensive weapons (“1 bomb for 1 Euro”), and unequal provision of social services. The results of war and the weakened society have led to: decreased parenting (“parents in post-war Bosnia appear to have lost their parental functions” and have stopped protecting their adolescent children), adolescents drop out of school, substance abuse, conflicts with the law, and early marriages. Iraq : Due to decades of violence, “the cheapest thing in Iraq is the human soul”. The chronic exposure over years to violence in public-media-and private arenas, malignant leadership, the militarization of the society, easy access to guns and the common use of guns for all occasions and minor disputes have led to the current level of violence in the country. Thousands have joined military groups (i.e. Sadr’s). The society has been “desensitized to violence”. Over the years of Saddam’s dictatorship, violent films were available all the time, television re-played past wars, parents allowed their children to watch violence and war on television- just as they had become desensitized to violence, they thought their children also were. Kosovo: This state is a “state of adolescents”, who make up 70% of the population. After the war, the family stopped its parenting task, which has led to hedonism in the adolescent population. The adolescents “like to live well, but are not motivated to work”. The phenomenon of “Internet-mania” has developed, where the adolescents play war games rather than attend school. Substance abuse is high, adolescent suicide has increased, and gangs have developed. Both the school and the family have become weak structures. Macedonia : Before the war, intellectual accomplishment was valued and professionals served as role models to adolescents. Now, those who “get rich quick” represent models of success for the adolescent. Corruption is widespread. There is a general lack of organizational structure in the society at large. Panic disorder, more common among women previously, is widespread in the male population. Remedies Suggested: Increase the protective factors in the societies, empower the family, view the adolescent as part of the family system and enhance parental involvement with the adolescent, conduct psychosocial work in the school setting to reach parents and teachers, develop volunteer opportunities because of the absence of job opportunities, develop healthy peer culture.
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Bosnian boy
Bosnian kids in class
Lisa Aronson with Bosnian kids
Iraqis and Chechens together
Lisa Aronson and Paula Gutlove and local partners ARD and Women of the Don.