The terrorist attack on
the Army Public School in Peshawar has left an indelible mark on the psyche of
the Pakistani nation. One cannot even begin to comprehend what the children
must have gone through in those harrowing moments when the terrorists burst
into the school premises and opened fire, mercilessly killing more than 140 of
them.
Neither can one
comprehend the anguish and turmoil their families must be going through now.
Needless to say, terrorism and violent acts have become a way of life in
Pakistan today and no one is suffering from this more than the children of this
country.
War or any act of
terror is the most challenging and difficult time for children, as they are
psychologically immature. This psychological immaturity makes them more
vulnerable to the effects of distressing and inescapable stresses. Children
are reliant on care, empathy and support provided by their adults. When there
is a suicide blast or war, their attachment with their loved ones is disturbed
due to loss of parents, emotional unavailability of depressed parents and
parents in extreme worrisome conditions.
The care of the child
is then shifted to his/her relatives, Edhi centers and orphanage homes. War and
blasts also affect the physical and emotional resources that are provided by
their parents. On the other hand, children who are the victims of war or suicide
bombings, lose the opportunity of acquiring education and are forced to move in
camps where they reside for years in miserable conditions,waiting to recommence
a normal life.
The United Nations
Children's Fund is calling attention to the affect that three years of conflict
has had on Syria's young people, saying the crisis is the "most damaging
conflict for children in the region's recent history."
According to a new UNICEF report released, 5.5 million Syrian children now need assistance because of the war -- a number that has more than doubled in the past year. Among the hardest hit, it says are one million children living under siege and in hard to reach areas in Syria.
The report says of January, violence has killed more than 10,000 children in Syria, who are often are not accidental victims of war, but rather deliberately targeted. Witnesses say children and infants have been killed by snipers, or become victims of summary executions or torture. Schools have been bombed.
According to a new UNICEF report released, 5.5 million Syrian children now need assistance because of the war -- a number that has more than doubled in the past year. Among the hardest hit, it says are one million children living under siege and in hard to reach areas in Syria.
The report says of January, violence has killed more than 10,000 children in Syria, who are often are not accidental victims of war, but rather deliberately targeted. Witnesses say children and infants have been killed by snipers, or become victims of summary executions or torture. Schools have been bombed.
The 2014 Israel-Gaza
war took a heavy toll on Gaza’s children: more than 500 were killed, 3,374 were
injured – nearly a third of whom suffer permanent disability – and more than
1,500 were orphaned. Hundreds of thousands were left in trauma.
The war devastated
infrastructure that was already teetering on the brink of collapse. The
education and health sectors were particularly hard hit. During the 51-day
conflict, 258 schools and kindergartens were damaged, including 26 schools that
are beyond repair. Seven health facilities were destroyed and 67 hospitals and
clinics were damaged.
The history of humans
is a history of intergroup conflict, whether it be between tribes, city–states,
kingdoms, or nations. It is estimated that 2 million children have been killed
due to war-related injuries, 4 million have been disabled, 1 million orphaned,
and 12 million dislocated from their homes (UNICEF, 1996). The Durant’s (1968)
after writing The History of Civilization concluded that “war is one of the
constants in history” and that “in the last 3,421 years of recorded history
only 268 have seen no war.” Population explosions, the breaking up of the
colonial empires, the rise of nationalism, tribalism, and religious
fundamentalism have spurred people to define boundaries more exclusively with
subsequent conflicts with neighbors. As low intensity regional conflicts
replaced the global conflicts between nationalized armies of the world, the
victims of war have gradually encompassed a greater proportion of the civilian
population.
He became irritable,
aggressive and said he wanted to kill someone. He couldn’t sleep, had
flashbacks and stopped going to school”. The quality of life of children is
impacted by the war and terrorism. Many children lose their limbs and are
rendered disabled. So the whole life of these children will be lived under the
shadow of war injury and they are less likely to be employed and to marry.
Hence, such traumatic events bring negative changes in a child’s life.
War and terrorism not
only disturbs physical and social life of children but also has an immense
effect on the psychology of children.
Trauma-focused
cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) for children and parents is an evidence
based treatment approach for traumatized children. Evaluation of TF-CBT
includes several randomized controlled trials, effectiveness studies and
ongoing studies for children experiencing sexual abuse, domestic violence,
traumatic grief, terrorism, disasters and multiple traumas. The model of TF-CBT
described here is a flexible, components-based model that provides children and
parents with stress management skills prior to encouraging direct discussion
and processing of children’s traumatic experiences.
Pakistan has been going through a perpetual state of low- to
medium-intensity war for the last couple of decades. And this state of affairs
is unlikely to end anytime soon. Many children and young people have been
affected personally by terrorism, either by being at the scene of an attack, by
knowing someone injured or killed by militants or watching graphic scenes on
their television screens.
Many children suffer acute anxiety when in public places. Others
may have symptoms such as difficulty in sleeping, poor concentration,
irritability, aggression, loss of appetite etc. Post-traumatic stress disorder
is a psychiatric condition that can be triggered after experiencing or
witnessing a life-threatening event, from military combat to terrorism, natural
disasters and personal assaults.
Government of Pakistan should protect the citizen of Pakistan
because it is always the responsibility of the state to protect people’s life.
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