Children and Political Violence in Northern Ireland

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is increasing concern about children's development in areas of the world plagued by political violence, including possible links between political, community and domestic violence. It might be expected that the negative sequelae would be greatest for children when all these factors converge, as in cultures with long-standing histories of ethnic conflict. However, little systematic study has been accomplished on the impact of political violence and related social ecologies on the adjustment of children, and even less is known about the mechanisms underlying relations with child outcomes. This study investigates an ecological framework for the effects of political violence on children in Northern Ireland. 3 programmatically-related phases of research are proposed. A pilot phase is concerned with instrument refinement for this culture, including focus groups and qualitative analyses. Based on a survey of mothers (n=2000), a next phase tests relations between political and community violence and children's adjustment (5-15 years) in single and 2-parent families. Finally, a more intensive survey (n=600) following-up with 2 parent families and children (10-15 years) at ages most at risk for exposure to ethnic conflict tests an ecological, theory-driven model for the psychological impact of political violence on children. Multiple dimensions of child and family (marital conflict, parenting, parental adjustment) functioning are assessed based on mother and child reports, including children's emotional security, social identity, and psychological adjustment. Among the hypotheses to be tested are: (a) political violence will have direct effects, and indirect effects through community violence, on child adjustment; (b) child outcomes will not be uniform across Northern Ireland, but will vary positively by the historical intensity of ethnic conflict in different regions of Northern Ireland; and (c) family functioning and child regulatory functioning will mediate the effects of political and community violence on child adjustment outcomes. The research will innovatively contribute to understanding of the ecological, psychological, and familial processes underlying effects of ethnic conflict on children in Northern Ireland, with implications for other regions of the world with histories of ethnic conflict.