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Annotated Bibliography

Article 1

Wessells, M. (2017). Children and armed conflict: Interventions for supporting war-affected

children. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 23(1). doi:

10.1037/pac0000227

This article focuses on how children within war zones can be helped and supported. It has

special emphasis on mental health psychosocial and peace building support for this group. The

author of the article identifies that this requires an approach that will help in ensuring that the

intervention measures that are provided are in line with comprehensiveness, sustainability, and

being harmless to persons being helped. These three as discussed in the paper are outlined as the

three pillars of systematic support for war-affected children. In developing a comprehensive

course of support services offered to children affected by war, the article outlines the need for

providing a support system that is multi-leveled, resilience-oriented, interdisciplinary and

tailored to fit different subgroups. Under sustainability, the article recommends that intervention

measures should ensure that the activities being undertaken are aligned with existing local

support, working towards greater power sharing with local players, and adapting to the local

culture. In causing no harm, the support service should ensure that it does no harm. For instance,
it is required to ensure that the intervention measures that have been implemented do not affect a

child in a negative way such as developing high level of dependency, very high levels of

expectations or affecting the children as they interact with their workers.

This article presents an interesting argument because by providing the three pillars that

should be incorporated in intervention measures for supporting war-affected children, it provides

a framework through which the groups that provide this support can have produce more positive

impacts to the affected children. The source uses a variety of sources from conducted research

works to determine the effectiveness of support groups that have been helping children from war

zones. This source is very desirable and current and therefore provides an up-to-date set of

information that can be very helpful to groups that have interest in supporting children from war

zone areas.

Article 2

Rieder, M., & Choonara, I. (2011). Armed conflict and child health. Archives Of Disease In

Childhood, 97(1). doi: 10.1136/adc.2009.178186

This article discusses how conflict often affects children. First, the article starts by

analyzing who benefits from war by noting that in most cases of armed conflict are brought

about by struggle for power between different political agents. The article mentions the kind of

ammunition that are often used during such conflicts which include landmines, small arms and

cluster bombs. Ammunition affects individual especially through physical injuries. At times

children are also used as parties in armed conflict where they are used as child soldiers. In the

aspect of how war affects children, the article shows how warzone affect children through
displacement, diseases related to poor living conditions, psychological problems, limited access

to healthcare and education,  as well as death and disability. The article provides critical insights

through several tables of statistics that show how countries have been spending in the military

ammunition and outlines a comparison between the total civilian deaths that occur compared to

military deaths, which shows a high number of civilian deaths.

This article presents a good approach in addressing the issue of impact of war on children

by first outlining the kind of weapons that are often used in war zones, the beneficiaries of the

war, and finally indicating the impact that war has on children. The comparison on the military

budgets between the U.S the U.K and the profits that are earned from sale of arms are good

insights on understanding the political side of the armed conflict that affect children. Since the

article uses statistical data to make arguments such as indicating that the number of children who

were made homeless by armed conflict is as many as 12 million along with the statistics on the

number of children who have psychological problems such as post-traumatic disorder, it makes

the arguments presented in the article more credible, hence making it a reliable source.

Article 3

Bhutta, Z., Keenan, W., & Bennett, S. (2016). Children of war: urgent action is needed to save a

generation. The Lancet, 38(51). doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31577-x

This article focuses on the current state of children of war and urges that the involved

parties especially the United Nations should take urgent action to save this generation. The

article notes that children in war zones are disproportionately affected by war because of the long

life consequences that they suffer, as well as facing the risk of being used as child soldiers. The
article introduces another aspect of the impact of war on children such as being brainwashed

which has long life consequences and also relates to child abuse. The article starts by stating

some of the cases that have been identified on social media with precise description of how the

situation was, with the children being identified by their names who lied dead in separate

locations including Syria Iraq and Afghanistan. The articles also indicates how many children are

affected in war zones, stating that in Iraq between 2003 and 2010 children comprised 15% of all

deaths from suicide bombings. As part of proposing a solution, the article outlines how the UN

should enforce the UN’s Convention on Child Rights and calls upon the UN secretary general to

take action in protecting families and children in conflict zones. It also indicates that the health

workers and facilities that help in addressing the issues that come up during armed conflict

should be protected to ensure that they offer non-disrupted service. What is unique about this

article is that it brings to light how the  the United Nations can play an active role in protecting

children in war zones through the conventions that have been laid out to protect child rights. If

this is implemented, they can enhance the security of children in war zones.

Article 4

Denov, M. (2010). Coping with the trauma of war: Former child soldiers in post-conflict Sierra

Leone. International Social Work, 53(6). doi: 10.1177/0020872809358400

This article presents the findings that were gathered after interviewing 80 children who

were formerly associated with Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front during the study on

armed conflict. It outlines findings on how children including boys and girls experienced the

armed conflict where they were parties to the conflict or they suffered in some way during this

conflict in ways such as being sexually abused and physically abused. As noted from the
interviews, children acted as front-line combatants, commanders of other child soldiers, spies,

porters, cooks, domestic servants, and caretakers of younger children. Girls were also subjected

to sexual labor and sexual violence. This created trauma even after end of conflict.

The article incorporates many direct quotes from the interview is expressing the views

about how they experienced the effects of war in the war time and how they tried to cope with

the impact of war during the war and after the war. Some of the children interviewed narrated

how some of their parents were killed as they watched and were raped in the process and forced

to live with the soldiers to work in support of the armed group or to participate as armed soldiers.

Some of the children also indicated how use of threats of assault and death were primarily used

to make them do the things that the armed group wanted them to do. In case they refused, they

were subjected to physical abuse or death which had happened to several of their colleagues. As

part of coping with the experiences that they had during the conflict, the interviewees indicated

that they mainly used peer support structures and concealment to avoid victimization for what

they did and the role that they played during the armed conflict. Spiritual confinement was also

evident among some of the affected children through some things such as community rituals and

through prayers. This article is unique in that it provides primary information from the children

themselves who experienced armed conflict. Some of them were raped or suffered abuse in the

hands of the armed group.

Article 5

Prasad, A., & Prasio, P. (2009). Children in Conflict Zones. Medical Journal Armed Forces

India, 65(2). doi: 10.1016/s0377-1237(09)80134-2

 This article specifically focuses on the impact of war on children from the aspect of

health. It notes that in most cases armed conflict results in destruction of health facilities and

support infrastructure that eventually lead to inadequate food, lack of water, and lack of medical

care and medicines. The article shows that the most common effects of war to children are

psychosocial problems and they can range from mild stress to other serious problems such as

depression, anxiety, development of substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorders. The

article uses research works that have been conducted by other researchers about the prevalence

of these psychosocial problems that affect children who have experienced war. The article also

identifies the various ways in which governmental organizations and nongovernmental

organizations such as UNICEF and UNHCR help in addressing these issues. For instance, the

article indicates that children should be encouraged to express their feelings and also

recommends that children who are below six years should not be exposed to some of the

disturbing coverage on TV about attacks. Additionally, the article indicates that street children

are on the rise mainly because of the stigma that they undergo discrimination and being

abandoned. This is one of the things that have led to higher levels of substance abuse as children

try to cope with the harsh street life.

This article is significant in covering the topic of the impact of war on children as it

introduces other important aspects such as life on the streets that children may go through after

an armed conflict. This is directly related to the risk that they experience in getting into

substance abuse. This is in addition to the other identified health challenges that they face such

as lack of adequate food, water and medication.

Article 6

Yule, W., Dyregrov, A., Raundalen, M., & Smith, P. (2013). Children and war: the work of the

Children and War Foundation. European Journal Of Psychotraumatology, 4(1). doi:

10.3402/ejpt.v4i0.18424

This article outlines the basis on which the foundations that support children who have

suffered in the war zones or in natural disasters can provide effective support services. It is

essentially a manual that is evidence-based to ensure that the interventions recommended in the

article have been tested and evaluated. The article first outlines the conventions on the rights of

children in which it is stated that the children have the right not to be separated from parents,

have right to education, have right to healthcare, and that involved parties including warring

parties shall always take measures that are aimed at preventing adverse physical and

psychological health of the child. In studying how the recommendations outlined the manuals

had impacted the lives of children, it was noted that it had made significant effect in reducing

the stress reaction that affected children and demonstrated that it was more effective in

addressing this issue that affect children in war zones. Another follow-up study after the use of

this manual showed that it had reduced the incidences of post-traumatic disorders. The article

also outlines other aspects that the organization is currently undertaking more research line with

studying processes underlying stress reactions. This will provide better intervention measures

among those who are responsible of supporting children who had been exposed to armed

conflict.

This article is important in studying the impact of war on children, as it shows

effectiveness of some of the strategies that are adopted to address the affecting children from war
zones. This is a good course, as it will help all players that interact with the affected children to

have a guideline on the best and most productive practices when supporting children with this

problem.

Article 7

Tiefenbrun, S. (2007). Child Soldiers, Slavery, and the Trafficking of Children. SSRN Electronic

Journal, 31(2). doi: 10.2139/ssrn.1020341

This article examines the complex relationship of human trafficking, slavery, and child

soldiers. It discusses root causes of the  development and expansion of the use of child-soldiers,

examines the international and domestic laws, and instruments that protect against the use of

children as soldiers. It also offers practical suggestions and economic solutions to make these

legal instruments more effective. This article is very comprehensive in its approach and covers

extensive aspects of the impact that armed conflict has on children. It addresses other aspects

such as the reasons why children become soldiers, the aspect of forced recruitment versus

voluntary recruitment of children, the issue of children becoming orphans, and economic reasons

as a driver towards involvement of children in armed conflict. It goes further to identify the

international legal instruments that are specifically designed to protect children. These include

the United Nations Convention on the rights of a child, and the protections that have been drafted

to protect children against being used in armed conflicts or being sold for purposes of

pornography and prostitution.

With the current issues that face armed conflict such as increased number of immigrants

which comes with higher level of human trafficking,  this source identifies well with such issues
that are being experienced today. By indicating some of the international regulations that can be

used to protect children, it shows it shows how issues related to the consequences of armed

conflicts on children including protection of children against sexual violence and sexual

exploitation can be facilitated. The interconnected nature of the issues discussed in the article

also helps in understanding the problem of impact of armed conflict to children in a better way.

Article 8

Pearn, J. (2008). The Effect Of War And Conflict On Child Health. Journal Of Pediatric

Gastroenterology & Nutrition, 27(2). doi: 10.1097/00005176-199808000-00037

According to this article, child victims of war suffer from loss of antenatal service due to

the breakdown of obstetric services and from being orphans in disrupted societies where the

support of extended families that would have existed in peacetime is broken. Malnutrition and

violence, particularly in civil wars cause significant negative effects to children of all ages.

Infants and children are particularly more vulnerable. The article further notes that traumatic

experiences lead to an inter-generational effect, transmission of hate, often awaiting only the

opportunity for 'pay back' for the children who experience an armed conflict at an age that they

are able to understand what is happening. To break this cycle remains one of the great challenges

to all who care for children.

This article introduces another aspect of the impact of war on children by addressing the

negative impacts that war has on infants. With a breakdown of some of the services such as

antenatal care, such children end up facing more health risks due to the disrupted nature of

antenatal service provision. This is often not considered in many research studies because the
impact of war on children mainly focuses on the children who are able to internalize and

understand the things happening within the environment, which explains the reason why a high

number of research studies focus on the mental health of children from war zones. In this case,

this article bridges the gap through addressing the issues that affect infants who are caught up in

war zones.