Social work practice with war-affected children and families: the importance of family, culture, arts, and participatory approaches

ABSTRACT War and armed conflict not only gravely impact individual children, but the entire family system, with the impacts of war further compounded by the complexities of displacement, flight, migration, and resettlement to new contexts. These processes can cause destabilizing ruptures in the social fabric, networks, and services that support and protect children and families, ultimately hindering their potential protective capacities and potentially contributing to negative long-term intergenerational effects. The family plays a vital role in shaping children‘s mental health and well-being in conflict and post conflict settings, and thus the family needs to be accorded greater consideration in designing psychosocial support services for war-affected populations. With growing numbers of war-affected refugees resettling in Canada and the U.S., it is critical that psychosocial programs and interventions address their unique needs, as individuals, families, and communities. Moreover, there is a greater need for culturally responsive practice with war-affected refugee children and families that accounts for the diversity and heterogeneity of their needs and lived experiences. In this Special Issue entitled: “Children of War and their Families: Perspectives on Social Work Practice & Education”, we suggest that factors such as fostering a family approach, allotting careful attention to context and culture, alongside an emphasis on linking the arts and participation with social work practice, can be key social work contributions to research, education, and practice with this important and often overlooked population.