About this session

Thursday, 11:50 AM - 1:20 PM

Destruction, Repair, and Resilience: Leveraging Developmental Science for Forcibly Displaced Youth

Forced migration as an intentional, community-destroying act of group-based violence has an undeniably destructive impact across several domains of development (Roos, 2002). Literature has explicitly identified forced displacement as a brutal violation of human rights and a threat to the short- and long-term biopsychosocial well-being of families and children (Pfefferbaum, et al. 2016), such as brain development, learning, and emotional regulation (Carrion & Wong, 2012). Trauma from the catastrophic loss children and youth face, including loss of parents, caregivers, family members, and friends, can become biologically embedded (Berens, Jensen, & Nelson III, 2017) and may also shorten one’s lifespan as evidenced by DNA-based age acceleration (Hughes, et al. 2018). Mass violence also disrupts parent and caregiver ability to provide adequate care for children, furthering the psychosocial toll on the children (Punamäk, 2009). Intergenerational trauma has also been found to sensitize individuals’ stress responses.For instance, children whose parents survived a genocide, but who themselves were not direct survivors, experience heightened occurrence of mental health problems and substance abuse compared to those whose parents were not subjected to genocide (Dashorst, et al. 2019). Across the globe, we are witnessing several recent instances of targeted displacement against members of social, political, ethnic minority groups, which create urgency for child development scholars to attend to the developmental needs of children displaced in the context of political violence.

The severity of the consequences of displacement necessitates collective action towards evidence-based practices for advancing equity and reconciliation (Pearlman, 2013). This roundtable will bolster attendee understanding of the influences of current displacement and related political violence on child development from trauma-informed approaches which strive towards reparation rather than more harm. Dominant narratives often create false binaries that may divorce political conflicts from empiricism regarding their actual impact on children, youth, and families. This roundtable upholds SRCD’s scientific vision to deconstruct the biological, social, and behavioral complexity of life after trauma and also coalesce the research community around responsive services.
This roundtable will improve scholars’ critical consciousness to reflect on how systemic oppression operates within society in nuanced and subtle ways. We intend for scholars to leave with a better understanding of the history of displacement within Gaza, The Congo, Sudan, and other regions and their documented effects on child development. Speakers will provide actionable steps towards addressing urgent developmental concerns among children and families affected by displacement, centering around the rebuilding of their most vital support infrastructure including schools and health care systems that have been damaged or entirely destroyed. The goals of this roundtable will also reflect broader scientific goals of leveraging institutional power to promote the belief that all people have inherent dignity and worth that must be recognized and supported by institutions of knowledge. Developmental science demonstrates the clear importance of safety, education, and mental health for young people; thus, our actions as scientists can help affected youth and their families to achieve optimal wellness.

The panelists of this roundtable are authorities on trauma-informed approaches to community-based care for forcibly displaced refugees and in the development and implementation of developmentally and culturally appropriate mental health interventions. Panelists include:

Sawssan R. Ahmed, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Ahmed is an investigator who focuses on health disparities among Arab Americans adults and youth, as well as the role of socio-cultural risk and protective factors in the health of Arab and Muslim populations. She has authored several publications on culturally competent mental health work and was on APA’s Presidential Task Force on Culturally Informed Trauma Recovery. Dr. Ahmed brings invaluable expertise on the experiences of forcibly displaced and refugee Arab and Muslim youth who have experienced trauma.

Zainab Hosseini, Ph.D., LCSW, NIMH T32 Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University. Dr. Hosseini is a researcher and licensed mental health clinician who has collaborated with multiple refugee serving organizations in Iran, Lebanon, Greece, and Mexico, to design, implement, and evaluate culturally and contextually responsive mental health services for forcibly displaced refugee youth. Dr. Hosseini’s research explores developmental, sociocultural, and contextual considerations in scaling responsive mental health interventions for displaced youth who are at different stages of their forced migration.

Sommer Jabbar-Pearson, Ed.D, Director of Inclusion and Belonging, Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Jabbar-Pearson is an accomplished educator and DEI professional with a strong background in early childhood and adult education. She recently completed her doctoral studies focusing on organizational change and leadership that examined the belonging of immigrant and refugee students in the American school system. Dr. Jabbar-Pearson brings expertise about community health services, family engagement, and academic contexts of immigrant and refugee students in the U.S.

Samah Jabr, MD, Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of Mental Health Unit, Palestinian Ministry of Health. Dr. Jabr is a psychiatrist practicing in the public and private sectors within Palestine and is currently the Head of the Mental Health Unit within the Palestinian MoH. She is also a founding member of the Palestine Global Mental Health network. Dr. Jabr brings specialized expertise as a practitioner and frequent consultant for international organizations regarding program development, policy planning, and program implementation and as a provider of psychological support and well-being workshops for human rights organizations.

Panelists will address the following questions:

1. Why should scholars and practitioners who are not specifically focused on the experiences of forcibly displaced and refugee youth still work to advocate for these populations?

2. How can developmental scientists and practitioners effectively use their expertise to advocate for forcibly displaced children? What should they consider when deciding to engage in these needed actions?

3. If developmental scientists could come together to organize our expertise and resources in support of forcibly displaced children, what would you want us to do together?

Scholars will engage the audience directly with comments and questions. We will also provide attendees resources that will serve as both foundational knowledge and idea generating tools. With this roundtable, we intend for developmental researchers to be empowered to apply the lessons learned to advance targeted actions to improve the lives of forcibly displaced children.

Displaced and refugee youth across the world grapple with unfathomable devastation, traumatic stress, and, if fortunate to survive, the substantial task of rebuilding their lives. The consequences of genocidal harm during critical stages of development coupled with tangible and intangible losses of community and infrastructure are dire. This reality warrants reparative, evidence-based action that is grounded in the indisputable truth that those experiencing displacement are humans with inherent value worthy of a home, belonging, and the space to thrive alongside their communities. Developmental scientists and practitioners are obligated to challenge oppressive systems in service of ending and preventing violence against youth. Collectively, we have power to support reparative action to facilitate recovery from genocide and forced displacement. This roundtable will facilitate an action-oriented conversation about the damaging effects of forced displacement on children and their families, the nuanced process of repair, and the necessity of hope and resilience. This roundtable supports the SRCD strategic plan by highlighting the role developmental science can play in communicating urgent needs of displaced children and their families, as well as articulating the implications of these findings for policy, practice, and research. By focusing on the unique experiences of forcibly displaced youth, the roundtable also aligns with SRCD’s focus on integrating contextual diversity in developmental science and ensuring solutions address children’s lived experiences under oppressive systems. The moderators will be Dr. Ariana Rivens (Postdoctoral Fellow, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) and Otiti Mayo, B.S. whose scholarship centers the experiences of marginalized adolescents and young adults. Displaced and refugee youth across the world grapple with unfathomable devastation, traumatic stress, and, if fortunate to survive, the substantial task of rebuilding their lives. The consequences of genocidal harm during critical stages of development coupled with tangible and intangible losses of community and infrastructure are dire. This reality warrants reparative, evidence-based action that is grounded in the indisputable truth that those experiencing displacement are humans with inherent value worthy of a home, belonging, and the space to thrive alongside their communities. Developmental scientists and practitioners are obligated to challenge oppressive systems in service of ending and preventing violence against youth. Collectively, we have power to support reparative action to facilitate recovery from genocide and forced displacement. This roundtable will facilitate an action-oriented conversation about the damaging effects of forced displacement on children and their families, the nuanced process of repair, and the necessity of hope and resilience. This roundtable supports the SRCD strategic plan by highlighting the role developmental science can play in communicating urgent needs of displaced children and their families, as well as articulating the implications of these findings for policy, practice, and research. By focusing on the unique experiences of forcibly displaced youth, the roundtable also aligns with SRCD’s focus on integrating contextual diversity in developmental science and ensuring solutions address children’s lived experiences under oppressive systems. The moderators will be Dr. Ariana Rivens (Postdoctoral Fellow, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) and Otiti Mayo, B.S. whose scholarship centers the experiences of marginalized adolescents and young adults.

Session moderator
Dr. Ariana Rivens, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States

Panelists
Dr. Sawssan R. Ahmed, Ph.D., California State University - Fullerton , United States
Zainab Hosseini, Ph.D., Stanford University , United States
Dr. Samah Jabr, State of Palestine Ministry of Health , Palestine, State of
Dr. Sommar Jabbar-Pearson, Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce , United States

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