Poster #167 - Behavioral problems in 3-to 7-year-old children growing up in the middle of the Turkish-Kurdish Conflict

• In Event: 1-115 - Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Section - Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Integrative Statement

The present study investigated the psychological functioning of 3 to 7 years old children living in the conflict zone in Turkey in a period when battles were rare, but the emergency state and occasional night curfews were in operation. Data was collected in two Eastern cities of Turkey: Diyarbakir (n = 52) and Hakkari (n = 70) between September and November 2017. The sample included 99 mothers responding for their 122 children (Mage = 67.53 months, SDage = 14.76, range = 39-95 months). Mothers provided information about demographics, children’s stressful experiences (i.e., armed conflict experiences and conflict-unrelated stressful experiences) and behavioral problems, and their own conflict-related post-traumatic stress symptoms. Results showed that the prevalence of behavioral problems was high: 11.5% of children were in the clinical range for internalizing problems, 9.8% were in the clinical range for externalizing problems, and 13.9% were in the clinical range for total behavioral problems. Problem levels were associated with children’s age and SES: Increasing age and higher SES were associated with lower behavioral problems. Examination of the armed conflict experiences revealed that children were frequently exposed to various forms of warfare both directly (i.e., personal experience) and indirectly (i.e., witnessing someone else experiencing, or hearing a close associate experiencing). Among other events, 72.1% of children were exposed to battles directly, 59% were exposed to tear gas at least once, 46.7% experienced at least one attack on their houses, 14.8% were assaulted with a weapon, 9.8% were threatened and 16.4% were intercepted by the armed forces, 86.9% had to change their residence at least once, 24% were separated from at least one of their parents and 52.9% from their siblings and close associates, and 63.9% were deprived of fundamental needs (e.g., food, water, shelter). Children who were exposed to events such as attack on the house, tear gas, physical assault, armed assault, violent death, detention, arrest, or deprivation of fundamental needs manifested higher internalizing and externalizing problems compared to child who were not. Children who were separated from their close associates (e.g., siblings, relatives, and friends), or who experienced events such as injury or disability because of conflict, threat, or interception by the armed forces manifested higher internalizing problems, whereas children who were separated from at least one of their parents manifested higher externalizing problems compared to children who did not experience such events. Finally, children’s behavioral problems were examined regarding their armed conflict experiences while controlling for other covariates that are known to be associated with emotional and behavioral problems among children. After controlling for children’s age and conflict-unrelated traumatic life experiences (e.g., natural disasters and accidents), maternal conflict-related post-traumatic stress symptoms, and SES, we found significant relations between children’s armed conflict experience level and internalizing problems and total behavioral problems. Implications of this study is substantial both at the individual and the societal level. Findings of this study might contribute to the formulation of appropriate intervention programs and policies for children and their families to ensure their recovery.

Authors

• Buket Kara, Koç University
  Presenting Author

• Bilge Yagmurlu, Koc University
  Non-Presenting Author