46P
Reintegration Experiences of Ex-Child Soldiers in Liberia
Very few studies have explored the experiences of child soldiers in Africa during and immediately following armed conflicts. However, there is a dearth in the research evidence on the reintegration of Liberian ex-child soldiers as they endeavor to live as civilians. While research has investigated the physical, psychological and social impact of ex-combatants and the interventions used, very little research have focused on the lived experiences of ex-child soldiers in post war Liberia.
This study helps to fill the gap by examining the experiences of individuals who participated in armed conflicts as child soldiers to explore their extent of reintegration, their perception of reintegration and the obstacles and contributing factors to reintegration. Participants provide suggestions concerning possible interventions that will assist them during reintegration.
Method: This study relied on secondary data collected in 2009 by the researcher. Thirty- four Liberian ex-child soldiers (14 females and 20 males) were interviewed in-depth about their experiences assimilating in their communities. Participants were asked about life after the war including their experiences while transitioning from soldiers to civilians, contributing factors and obstacles to their reintegration, the extent of their reintegration, perceptions of interventions needed to successfully reintegrate and their hopes and expectations about the future. The data was transcribed verbatim and entered into NVivo 10. Moustakas (1994) Phenomenological Data Analysis Model was used as the data analysis strategy. Triangulation with analysts and theories were used during data analysis and discussion respectively.
Findings: Data analysis revealed structural and textural themes which indicate that participants shared similar reintegration experiences and expected to successfully reintegration after participating in the reintegration program. Data suggest that participants received less than adequate job skills training and job opportunities to achieve gainful employment in a post war economy. Structural themes showed that participants were motivated to disarm, desired to rebuild their lives by acquiring knowledge and skills, were dissatisfied with reintegration and felt powerless. Although majority said they were not willing to fight again, participants who expressed willingness to fight attributed their answers to their dissatisfaction with the support they received during reintegration. Male and female participants varied in terms of motivation to disarm, powerlessness and willingness to fight again. The textural themes include poor administration at the program and government levels, constrained opportunities and social marginalization. Participants’ meaning of reintegration differed from the official definition. Findings suggest that participants do not perceive themselves as fully reintegrated although they have experienced 6 years of consecutive peace in Liberia.
Conclusion and Implications: Findings contribute to the limited literature on ex-child soldiers’ reintegration in Liberia and furthers the understanding of the unique needs of this population. It also sheds light on the need for long term support, evidence informed interventions and educational and economic opportunities during reintegration. By providing long term support using evidence based practice, social workers can empower victims of child soldiering, reduce social marginalization and prevent old or new ex-child soldiers from participating in future armed conflicts.