How Violence and War Affect Children Worldwide and How You Can Help
- ajoyce140
- Jul 11
- 5 min read
The brutal reality of wars unfolding in our world such as the war in Ukraine today or the possibility of war in Iran and many other places on earth reveal that war is never just fought on battlefields. It is fought on every road, in every school yard and in every home. War news dominates headlines, but behind the scenes, it’s ordinary people, civilians, especially children, who suffer most.
Children in war zones suffer lasting emotional, physical, and developmental consequences. While the global community often counts the visible toll, lives lost, schools destroyed, the wounds of trauma, displacement, and broken trust can follow these children for the rest of their lives.
Trauma, the Number One Predictor of Lifelong Struggles for Children in War Zones
Trauma is one of the most serious challenges facing children living in war zones. While some physical injuries heal or can be managed, the invisible wounds of mental trauma can last a lifetime. Sadly, mental health is often overlooked, especially in violent areas. Understanding and addressing this trauma is key to helping these children heal and rebuild their lives.
One way that professionals working with children, such as Child Protective Services, assess the state of a child coming into care and how best to provide support to the child, is by screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s). These questions include questions like: have you ever not had access to food, water or shelter? Have you lost one or more caregivers to illness, prison or divorce? Have you ever experienced violence from a family member? And did you experience unwanted sexual contact with an adult? There are ten questions in total. These questions are used to discern the level of trauma that a child has experienced and are currently being used by social workers and psychologists.
Though there are not any questions regarding living in violent areas in the world, living in one makes children significantly more likely to have many of the experiences listed.
If a person experiences three or more ACE’s it puts them at a much higher risk for PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, drug use, and many different kinds of physical illness including cancer, high blood pressure and heart failure.
A total of 1/10 people in the U.S will have three or more adverse childhood experiences, which is much less than the 1/6 of children worldwide (468 million) who are estimated to be living in active conflict zones experiencing high levels of multiple ACE’s at once.
Current Statistics of Children in Violent Areas in the World
In the Ukraine, 2,250 children have been killed or injured, and more than half the population of children were displaced within the first month of war. War news in Ukraine continues to update the world on the fallout, reminding us that the war in Ukraine today is far from over.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder says Gaza is “the most dangerous place to be a child”. In Gaza, 15,000 children have been killed, 50,000 injured, 850,000 displaced and many of the survivors are now about to face famine due to restrictions on humanitarian goods entering the region. In Sudan, 4 million children have been displaced, and 700,000 are currently malnourished.
Healing From the Effects of Trauma
The good news is children are resilient. There are some factors that buffer the effects of trauma. The most effective being a consistent, present, supportive, calming caregiver. This is so powerful. We as adults have an incredible opportunity to reduce and even reverse the effects of the trials and tribulations that our young experience. Unfortunately, many children in conflict zones have lost either one or both primary caregivers in their lives, leaving them more susceptible to the effects of ACE’s.
Resilience in children who have experienced trauma doesn’t always mean returning to normal or “bouncing back”. After compounding ACE’s like losing your home, belongings, loved ones, experiencing injuries and much more, “normal” is hard to define. Many specialists in the field of trauma working with children think it is more realistic for children to experience something called “meaning making” where we derive meaning from our experiences, how they shape us and how we can then move forward. Something that can be accomplished through psychological support.
That is why it is imperative that international humanitarian organizations have a significant focus on providing children who have suffered at the hands of war, family support, a sense of community, trauma-informed mental health services, lasting stable living conditions and medical care.
Charities that Help Children
It’s painful to hear the news these days let alone watch it. It’s almost unbearable. We find ourselves turning off the T.V or quickly closing an ad that pops up to help provide aid to children suffering. However, we can’t afford to look away.
Though it is hard to see their innocence in juxtaposition with the horrors of war and even harder to navigate the flood of emotion that comes with it, we must help them. Justice is rare, and even more so in conflict zones.
You can be a catalyst for justice by providing aid to children who are in dire need.
Life for Relief and Development USA (LIFE) is actively supporting children and families affected by war. Our Emergency Aid, Orphan Sponsorship, Back-to-School, Education Infrastructure and Family Assistance programs all support children worldwide currently facing and healing from war zones, genocide, and internal conflict.
LIFE is constantly working to create safe places for children where they can receive the support they need and begin their journey towards healing.
How Can You Help Children in Gaza and Other Areas Like it?
Whether we reflect on what wars are ongoing now or ask ourselves how we can prevent future conflict, one thing is clear, we must protect children from the crushing weight of violence and we must do so with swift compassionate action.
LIFE believes that a generation that faces violence is not lost but rather equipped to become the world's needed leaders, revolutionaries, inventors, infused with the humanity and compassion that their experiences have taught them.
They just need support, and we can give it to them.
There has never been a better time to give to children in areas with high levels of violence, war, internal conflict or genocide. They are suffering greatly; with your help we can ease that suffering and move them towards futures filled with opportunity.
Consider donating to LIFE’s projects that support children today.
