Children and Political Violence in Northern Ireland

描述（由申请人提供）：在世界上受政治暴力困扰的地区，人们越来越关注儿童的发展，包括政治，社区和家庭暴力之间的可能联系。可以预期，当所有这些因素汇集在一起时，对儿童的负面影响将是最大的，例如在具有长期种族冲突历史的文化中。然而，很少有系统的研究已经完成的影响，政治暴力和相关的社会生态对儿童的调整，更是鲜为人知的机制与儿童的结果。本研究探讨了一个生态框架的影响，政治暴力对儿童在北方爱尔兰。提出了3个与方案有关的研究阶段。试点阶段涉及为这种文化完善工具，包括重点小组和定性分析。根据对母亲的调查（n= 2 000），下一阶段测试单亲和双亲家庭中政治和社区暴力与儿童适应（5-15岁）之间的关系。最后，一个更密集的调查（n=600）后续与2个家长家庭和儿童（10-15岁）在年龄最有可能接触到种族冲突测试的生态，理论驱动的模型对儿童的心理影响的政治暴力。儿童和家庭（婚姻冲突，养育子女，父母的调整）功能的多个方面进行评估的基础上母亲和儿童的报告，包括儿童的情绪安全，社会认同和心理调整。有待检验的假设包括：（a）政治暴力将对儿童的适应产生直接影响，并通过社区暴力产生间接影响;（B）儿童的结果在整个北方爱尔兰不会是一致的，但会因北方爱尔兰不同地区族裔冲突的历史激烈程度而有积极的差异;（c）家庭功能和儿童调节功能将介导政治和社区暴力对儿童适应结果的影响。这项研究将创新性地有助于了解生态，心理和家庭过程的种族冲突对儿童的影响在北方爱尔兰，与世界其他地区的种族冲突的历史的影响。

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.