About the project
Millions of people are driven away from their homes by war, conflicts and prosecution, poverty, climate change or in the hope of a better life. According to UNICEF, 1 over 8 migrants is a child.
Without any doubt, migration and especially forced displacement and refugee experiences are associated with extreme psychosocial trauma considering the conditions under which migrants and refugees must leave their countries.
As many studies reveal, such traumatic experiences can cause long-lasting physical, emotional, and cognitive effects, which is particularly true for children that experience some of the most damaging consequences during the sensitive periods of brain development (UNESCO, 2019).
In general, migrant and refugee populations are more likely to experience trauma than the general population. And although not all migrant, refugee and displaced (MRD) children develop post-traumatic stress disorder, those who do develop traumatic symptoms, experience a serious dysfunction in their wellbeing and daily life flow.
Recently, education plays a key role in treating psychosocial trauma among MRD children. It is recognized as an institution that can stimulate resilience and cultivate learners’ social and emotional development, thus helping build self-confidence and emotional regulation skills, while teaching children to create relationships based on trust with others.
To that end, EU countries that face increased migrant and refugee flows of MRD children should better equip public and private schools with educational tools, methodological practices and interventions able to treat the negative psychosocial effects of the migration, displacement and refugee experience within the school environment.
