Children Of War: Psychological Aspects

Presented by: William (Bill) Pfohl, President, International School Psychology Association
Presented at: 3rd International CRE Summit
Date of Session: March 26, 2010

Session Description: A presentation given at a screening of the film CHILDREN of WAR by Bryan Single. The presentation examines the psychological aspects of trauma and recovery for child soldiers. The accompanying film, filmed inside the war zone of northern Uganda over a period of three years, is a unique and incandescent documentary which captures the story of a group of former child soldiers as they undergo a process of emotional and spiritual healing while in a rehabilitation center. Having been abducted from their homes and schools and forced to become fighters by the Lord's Resistance Army - a quasi-religious militia led by self-proclaimed prophet and war criminal Joseph Kony - the children struggle to confront and break through years of brutal abuse, extreme religious ideology, and participation in war crimes with the help of a heroic team of trauma counselors.