Reintegrating Armed Insurgents into Society: An Evaluation of Three Social Work Interventions

Background: Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs have become a stable feature of modern peacekeeping missions. As an armed conflict ends, DDR programs step in to facilitate the peace process on the macro-level by disarming insurgents and developing state institutions. On the micro-level, DDR programs provide intensive social work services including a comprehensive array of services to demobilized soldiers and insurgents in an effort to help them reintegrate into society. These usually include vocational assessment and training or job placement. Many also include psychological counseling, life skills workshops, health education, housing assistance, family therapy and reunification for child soldiers, education, food assistance, or casemanagement. Though widely used throughout the world, there is little evidence base for the specific interventions included in DDR programs. This particular study examines three DDR interventions in Haiti which were implemented after the country experienced an insurgency in 2003-2004 culminating with the overthrow of the elected president in 2004 and several subsequent years of repressive and violent government rule.

Methods: Using an extensive collection of quantitative data collected over five years (2007-2012) at baseline, intervention completion, and 12-, 24- and 36-months post intervention, this study examined individual-level and intervention-specific variables which contributed to the success of DDR efforts with 418 young men in three programs. Success was defined as engagement in pro-social behavior, abstaining from crime, and exiting armed insurgent groups. Three different types of DDR interventions were evaluated: 1) a faith-based DDR program with residential group housing, counseling and vocational rehabilitation; 2) traditional vocational training and job placement services; and 3) an educationally-focused leadership training intervention.  Participants were compared to waitlisted individuals (n=244), eligible nonparticipants (n=45), and intervention dropouts (n=35).

Results: A number of factors were correlated with success, but the most striking was the association between relationship-building and post-intervention success. Overall, study participants struggled to recreate themselves as law-abiding members of society as they experienced rejection/fear from community members. Developing supportive family relationships, engaging in sport and recreation on a regular basis, and religious community involvement helped participants overcome these difficulties. The emphasis on developing relationships with pro-social peers as well as comprehensive services addressing mental health and social skills training, which were provided by two of the programs, were strongly correlated with improved life satisfaction, lower reports of post-program arrests and higher post-program earned incomes.

Conclusions and implications: Simply providing vocational education and job placement – the staple service of many DDR programs – is insufficient for meeting the complex emotional, social, physical, relational, educational, and economic needs of individuals exiting armed groups. A focus on interpersonal skills, pro-social behaviors, recreation, and relationship building within ones family and community may improve ex-combatants’ prospects for long term success.