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A Multidimensional Assessment of Children in Conflictual Contexts: The Case of Kenya

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Abstract

Children in Kenya’s Kisumu District Primary Schools (N = 430) completed three measures of trauma. Respondents completed the My Worst Experience Scale (MWES; Hyman and Snook 2002) and its supplement, the School Alienation and Trauma Survey (SATS; Hyman and Snook 2002), sharing their worst experiences overall and specifically in schools. Participants also completed the Trauma and Attachment Belief Scale (TABS; Pearlman 2003), addressing their experiences of violence. The study examined children’s perceptions about themselves and others in the aftermath of violent experiences and the relationship between children’s trauma symptoms from experiencing violence and their social and academic functioning. Differences in the presence, frequency, and severity of symptoms emerged, with a large percentage attaining statistical and clinical significance. Research and practice implications are provided.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by a grant from the University of Vermont’s Office of the Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies. The Kenya Female Advisory Organization (KEFEADO) generously provided a research administration office and storage facilities in Kisumu, Kenya. The author is also deeply indebted to Allan Howard of the University of Vermont’s Statistical Consulting Clinic (SCC) for his assistance in analyzing the data reported in this manuscript. The author thanks the students, administrators, teachers, parents, and guardians in the primary schools in Kisumu who participated in this investigation.

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  1. University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA

    Jane E. Atieno Okech

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  1. Jane E. Atieno Okech
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Correspondence to Jane E. Atieno Okech.

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Okech, J.E.A. A Multidimensional Assessment of Children in Conflictual Contexts: The Case of Kenya. Int J Adv Counselling 34, 331–348 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-012-9166-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-012-9166-4

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