Traumatised children show signs of healing

A group of children who took part in a recent trauma healing programme in Sierra Leone are now showing signs of mending following their ordeal, according to a study released recently by an international child sponsorship organisation.

Childreach, the organisation which conducted the study, said children who witnessed extreme atrocities during the January 1999 rebel invasion of Freetown had shown a “dramatic improvement” in traumatic stress symptoms and had a restored sense of hope.

“The cruelty and sadistic nature of the atrocities committed during the three-week invasion of Freetown are among the worst crimes against innocent children and women in the past 15 years,” Leila Gupta, a doctor and expert on the psychosocial effects of war related violence on children, said.

She is also an assessor of the effectiveness of the trauma healing programme.

From October 1999 to January, 315 children were interviewed before and after a four-week programme which tended to the emotional health of children as well as their educational needs. Initial interviews revealed that the children, 93 percent of whom were aged between eight and 13 years, had witnessed or committed highly traumatic events such as maiming, killings and rape, Childreach said.

Through storytelling, drawing, music and play, children confronted their bad memories. The findings of the report pointed to a “significant reduction in sleep disturbances, bad dreams/nightmares, intrusive images, anxiety about future well-being, and a 70-percent improvement in the ability to concentrate in school.