Handbook of Resilience in Children of War

Chandi Fernando is a Clinical and School Psychologist. She has experience working in mental health agencies and schools in Toronto and Northern Ontario, and most recently as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. She is actively involved in international research, with a focus on, risk and resilience in children and communities. Her outreach work and research involves working with orphan and refugee torture and trauma victims of war in Sri Lanka.Michel Ferrari is a Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. His area of interest concerns psychological well-being and identity development. He has conducted international research on how individuals understand themselves within the context of their lives and cultures and is currently leading an international study of personal wisdom in China, India, India Serbia, Ukraine, the USA and Canada.  Other work has explored related themes such as self-compassion, and identity development in children with special needs, in particular those with Asperger’s Syndrome.  He is editor and co-editor of several books, the most recent being, The Scientific Study of Personal Wisdom (Ferrari & Weststrate, 2013, Springer).

• Chapter 1. Overview of the Volume; C. Fernando, M. Ferrari.- Section 1: Social-Ecological Approaches to Promoting Resilience in Children of War.- Chapter 2. Promoting Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing in Children Affected by Political Violence. Part I: Current Evidence for an Ecological Resilience Approach; W. A. Tol, M. J.D. Jordans, B. A. Kohrt, T. S. Betancourt, I. H. Komproe.- Chapter 3. Promoting Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing in Children Affected by Political Violence. Part II: Expanding the Evidence Base; W. A. Tol, M. J.D. Jordans, B. A. Kohrt, T. S. Betancourt, I. H. Komproe.- Chapter 4. Promoting Resilience in Children of War; B. Magid, N. Boothby.- Chapter 5. Child Mental Health, Psychosocial Wellbeing, and Resilience in Afghanistan: A Review and Future Directions; P. Ventevogel, M. Jordans, M. Eggerman, B. van Mierlo, C. Panter-Brick.- Section 2: Child Soldiers.-  Chapter 6. When Children Become Killers: Child Soldiers in the Civil War in Sierra Leone; T. B. Zack-Williams.- Chapter 7. The Fallacy of the Ticking Time Bomb: Resilience of Children Formerly Recruited into Armed Forces and Groups; L. Stark, M. Wessells.- Chapter 8. Children of War in Columbia and Iraq; M. J. Buchanan, K. Al-Mashat, L. Cortes, B. Djukic, B. Jaghori, A. Thompson.- Section 3: Institutional Support for Children Affected by War.- Chapter 9. Child Friendly Spaces: Promoting Children’s Resiliency Amidst War; K. Kostelny, M. Wessells.- Chapter 10. Resilience in Orphans of War in Sri Lanka; C. Fernando, M. Ferrari.- Section 4: Resilience among Refugees.- Chapter 11. Relational Resilience; C. Dauite.- Chapter 12. Coping and Adaptation: A Narrative Analysis of Children and Youth from Zones of Conflict in Africa; J. McAdam.- Chapter 13. Pathways of Success Experiences Among the “Lost Boys” of Sudan: A Case Study Approach; L. Bates, D. J. Johnson, M.Rana.- Chapter 14. No Place Like Home: Resilience Among Adolescent Refugees Resettled in Australia; J. Robinson.- Chapter 15. Pathways to Resilience: The Role of Education in War-Zone Immigrant and Refugee Student Success; L. Stermac, A. K. Clarke, L. Brown.- Section 5: Extending our Understanding of the Effects of War on Children: Theory and Practice.- Chapter 16. Political Violence, Identity, and Psychological Adjustment in Children; O. Muldoon.- Chapter 17. How Can a Majority Be Resilient? Critiquing the Utility of the Construct of Resilience through a Focus on Youth in Contexts of Political Conflict; B. Barber, B. Doty.- Chapter 18. Resilience in the lives of Children of War; J. Garbarino, E. Bruyere.- Chapter 19. Evidence-Based Resilience-Enhancing Intervention Methods for Children Affected by Armed Conflict; K. Peltonen, E. Palosaari.- Conclusion.- Chapter 20. What Can be Done to Help Children of War: Informing Policy and Practice; M. Ferrari, C. Fernando.

"My friend Emmanuel Jal says he believes he has survived for a reason - to tell his story, to touch lives. It is remarkable how children, the most vulnerable in conflict, are able to transcend the worst evils this world has to offer. The authors of this book recount positive stories of struggles for survival and the remarkable journeys of young people who refused to let their adverse circumstances dictate their future possibilities. This handbook stresses the importance of learning from the past, avoiding cookie-cutter solutions, and, above all, a multidisciplinary approach to caring for our young. It truly takes a village..." LGen Romeo Dallaire (Ret) Founder of the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative -- "Reading Chandi Fernando and Michel Ferrari's inspiring collection of papers from around the world, it's clear that there are specific protective processes that help children who are exposed to political violence build and sustain resilience. This is a timely work that sits on the crest of emerging thinking in the field of resilience research. No longer can we explain resilience as something inside a child. It is, as shown in the many studies that are discussed with some of the most disadvantaged children in the world, something we create by making children's social ecologies safer and more nurturing. This book will be of interest not just to those working with children affected by war, but anyone who works with traumatised young people, whether because of gangs or domestic violence. This volume is one of the first of its kind to show through research and its application to practice that we can help children be more resilient with the right commitments from their families, communities, and most importantly, the policy makers who fund the programs children need." Michael Ungar, PhD Co-Director, Resilience Research Centre Editor, The Social Ecology of Resilience: A Handbook of Theory and Practice