Experience of war trauma in narratives of Ukrainian children

During war children are a group particularly vulnerable to traumatic experiences, as they face the real threat of loss of life or health. Children experience fear, pain, hunger, disease, disability, homelessness and loneliness. Wartime misfortunes can trigger post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in both adults and children, which is also associated with “survivor syndrome”. This study sought to learn about the image of war and to understand the traumatic wartime experiences of Ukrainian children. Qualitative research was used to learn about in-depth experience of the subjects. Written narratives of the “children of war” who remained in Ukraine and those who found refuge in Poland were analysed and interpreted. The analysis of the relations allowed for conceptualizing the image of war and categorizing the experiences of children suffering wartime atrocities. Firstly, for the children, war brings an experience of death; secondly, war is related to cruelty, violence and callousness; thirdly, it brings a transformation of the value system; fourthly, war is a long-term state of uncertainty; fifthly, war involves sudden migration. Due to the testimonies analysed, it was possible to learn about children’s perceptions of war.