Resilience as a survival strategy in the condition of war
Students Name: Kovalchuk Amaliia Dzhavidivna
Qualification Level: magister
Speciality: Social work
Institute: Institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences
Mode of Study: full
Academic Year: 2022-2023 н.р.
Language of Defence: ukrainian
Abstract: War, living in conflict zones, flight and forced migration can create or increase the risk of wide-ranging consequences of direct and indirect risks to physical and mental health, especially for children and their caregivers, and deprives children of opportunities to develop and access essential resources. The impact on children’s health results from actual violence against themselves and their families, as well as from inadequate health care, malnutrition, infectious diseases and the suffering inflicted on their families. The global mental health burden of war and migration is enormous, with high prevalence rates of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in war-affected countries. Runaway and forced migration are additional risk factors for children’s mental health, especially for unaccompanied minors separated from their parents. In addition to physical and mental health consequences, armed conflict imposes high costs as basic social services deteriorate, existing communal divisions are widened, local economies are destroyed, schooling is disrupted, and educational opportunities are reduced. Taken together, the risks associated with war, living in conflict zones, flight and forced migration for children are diverse and can have impacts on physical, mental, social well-being and development throughout life. War has a huge impact on children, from immediate stress reactions and increased risk of certain mental disorders—PTSD, depression, and anxiety—to the wide-ranging effects of parental separation and loss of security. Thus, children’s experiences during and immediately after war are markedly at odds with the need and right to develop in a safe environment. In the last three decades, there has been a growing interest in the dynamic process that enhances the positive adaptation of children who grow up under the influence of negative conditions. This process, called the building of mental stability or "resilience", refers to the ability of an individual to withstand pathological or traumatic life situations, thanks to favorable close, distant environments, such as family, peers, teachers and educators, creates conditions for positive growth and development. Knowing about the phenomenon of resilience and its family context allows you to consciously create an environment for children and adolescents that is more conducive to those whose lives have experienced loss, trauma or negative changes. In the social and psychological literature, a lot of space is devoted to children who grow up in difficult life circumstances. Today’s world, full of rush, coining work and the diseases of civilization, leads to the fact that thousands of children and young people are raised by parents who are mentally ill, addicted and use domestic violence. Children who grow up in environments of chaos, trauma, and violence are directly exposed to excessive stress and are often victims of inappropriate living conditions: they tend to experience emotional, school, and social problems (Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S., 2012). Most researchers tend to interpret the concept of "resilience" not as a permanent feature of the child, but as a multifactorial process of overcoming adverse developmental conditions and leading to positive adaptation (Flynn, Dudding, & Barber, 2006; Masten, 2006; Schofield & Beck, 2005; Stein, 2006 ; Ungar, 2004). From an intervention perspective, a central principle emerging from existing research is that resilience relies, most importantly, on strong relationships. Therefore, the most appropriate way to promote sustainable adaptation is to ensure that children receive support from adults as soon as possible. The concept of "resilience" is also considered in the context of the theory of strengths (English, strength perspective) (Arnold EM, Zimmerman M. A, 2013). In this approach, resilience refers to the skills, abilities, knowledge and discoveries that are accumulated over time as a result of solving problems and coping with challenges. This means that during and after an emergency, well-being is maintained at the expense of those resources and abilities that are already present and well developed in a specific person or community, or that they successfully develop during mastering a difficult situation. The theory of strengths (strengths perspective theory) in the practice of social work has the following key definitions: 1) provision, which involves supporting individuals, families and communities in finding and using their strengths; 2) resilience, which means the presence of skills, abilities and knowledge that develop later as a result of overcoming life’s adversities and fighting challenges. It is about the fact that the recovery of the life of an individual or a community after an emergency situation can take place thanks to those resources and abilities that are well developed in them. Strengths theory does not ignore pathology or problems, but rather recognizes the possibility of change, growth, and learning. The client’s strengths are revealed in him as an individual, in relationships (for example, with friends or family members), their community and society (Ivanyuk, I.V., Bohdanov, S.O., Hirnyk, A., Zaleska, O. V., Solovyova, V. V., Chernobrovkina, V. A., & Chernobrovkin, V. M., 2017). Risk factors can also manifest themselves at different levels. These risks and protective factors influence the formation of resilience. Social workers play an important role in identifying risk and protective factors. Interventions of social workers should be aimed at reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors. The object of research is the bearer of the problem: children who find themselves in war conditions. The object of research on the general problem: the formation of resilience in conditions of war. The subject of the study: peculiarities of the use of social work methods in the formation of resilience in children who found themselves in war conditions. The purpose of the study: to reveal the peculiarities of the social worker’s use of methods that contribute to the formation of resilience in children who find themselves in war conditions. Key words: positive adaptation, sustainability, resilience, strengths, resources, threats, military conflict. List of used literary sources Flynn, R. J., Dudding, P. M., & Barber, J. G. (Eds.). (2006). Promoting resilience in child welfare. University of Ottawa Press. Masten, A. S., & Obradovic, J. (2006). Competence and resilience in development. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets that promote resilience: When students believe that personal characteristics can be developed. Educational psychologist. Zimmerman, M.A. (2013). Resiliency theory: A strengths-based approach to research and practice for adolescent health. Ivanyuk, I. V., Bogdanov, S. O., Hirnyk, A., Zaleska, O. V., Solovyova, V. V., Chernobrovkina, V. A., & Chernobrovkin, V. M. (2017) . Training of teachers for the development of vitality/stress resistance in children in educational institutions