Positive Youth Development in War-Affected Children in Uganda
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2016
Keywords
Positive Youth Development, Uganda, War-affected youth, Youth Purpose, Former child soldiers.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.4314/contjas.v4i1.3
Abstract
The war in northern Uganda with Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) created over 20 years of terror and turmoil. Tens of thousands of youth were either abducted as child soldiers and/or sex slaves; or they were placed in internally displaced peoples’ (IDP) camps, where they lived with inadequate social provisions, such as food, health care, education, and safety. Our study used interviews and focus groups to learn about how these youth were coping post-war. In particular, we focused on youth with positive purpose and goals to understand ways in which they were supported to hold fast to positive development and life goals. Findings indicated that rehabilitation, financial support for education, role models, and sports/arts have helped many youth who experienced war in northern Uganda find pro-social purposes in their lives.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Contemporary Journal of African Studies, v. 4, no. 1, p. 29-59
Scholar Commons Citation
McBrien, Jody L.; Stewart, Jan; and Ezati, Betty Akullu, "Positive Youth Development in War-Affected Children in Uganda" (2016). School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies Sarasota Manatee Campus Faculty Publications. 35.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/sigs_facpub_sm/35
