This article, published in Intervention, describes a participative ranking methodology for identifying local understanding of reintegration and adjustment of potential value in program planning and evaluation. It was applied in the context of girls formerly associated with fighting forces in Sierra Leone. Fourteen discussion groups, utilizing spontaneous listing and participative ranking activities, within a focus group framework, were conducted in 10 communities. Discussions served to identify family support, marriage, involvement in communal activities and income generating activities as locally seen indicators of a girl’s successful reintegration after the war.

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This article, published in Conflict and Health, reports on the use of a “neighborhood method” to measure the nature and incidence of violence against women and girls in post-conflict Liberia. The study population comprised females in Montserrado and Nimba counties. Study participants were randomly selected for interviews using multi-stage cluster sampling. 30 clusters of households were sampled in each county. Information on incidents of domestic violence and rape within the preceding 18 months was collected with regard to females of all ages in the respondent’s household, and those of her four closest neighbors to make up the full sample. In the previous 18 months 54.1% (CI 53.1-55.1) and 55.8% (CI 54.8-56.8) of females in Montserrado and Nimba respectively were indicated to have experienced non-sexual domestic abuse; 19.4% (CI 18.6-20.2) and 26.0% (CI 25.1-26.9) of females in Montserrado and Nimba respectively to have been raped outside of marriage; and 72.3% (CI 70.7-73.9) and 73.8% (CI 72.0-75.7) of married or separated women in Montserrado and Nimba respectively to have experienced marital rape. Husbands and boyfriends were reported as the perpetrators of the vast majority of reported violence. Strangers were reported to account for less than 2% of the perpetrators of rape in either county. Incidents were most commonly disclosed to other family members or to friends and neighbors, and less often to formal authorities such as the police, court or community leaders. Programming needs to address the fact that this violence is primarily occurring in the household, where most incidents go unreported outside the immediate family or social circle.

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The article, published in Child Development, features the findings from a 3-phase Delphi consultation featuring thirty specialists in humanitarian work supporting the care and protection of children in crisis settings. Proposals of best practice were elicited, reviewed, and rated by participants. A high level of consensus support was reached for 55 statements. These statements emphasized utilization of existing resources, participation, and inclusivity. The influences of resilience theory, social ecology, and cultural sensitivity were clearly evident. The utilization of developmental theory could be strengthened in relation to more differentiated understanding of the operation of protective influences and conceptualization of such influences in terms of ‘‘adaptive systems.’’ Wider research engagement by development scientists in diverse cultural settings and clear formulation of findings for practitioners and policy makers would further support evidence-based humanitarian practice.

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This book chapter reviews six different approaches to the provision of psychosocial support to war-affected children through schools and discusses their comparative advantages in terms of feasibility, scalability and results. The six approaches are: schools first, safe spaces, teacher sensitization, psychosocial structured activities programs, peer-to-peer dialogue, and school-based counselors.

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The purpose of this project was to obtain a clear understanding of the current child protection information system in Indonesia. The report identifies the existing data collection and information management mechanisms at national and provincial level, then analyzes their appropriateness and efficiency. Key findings and recommendations are highlighted to improve the Indonesian child protection reporting and data system.

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This article in Disasters documents the significant threats to children’s well-being directly linked to the political conflict in Darfur, Sudan. It demonstrates the role of non-conflict factors in exacerbating these dangers and in promoting additional protection violations and it uses the ‘protective environment’ framework to identify systematic features of the current environment that put children at risk. This framework is shown to provide a coherent basis for assessment and planning, prompting broad, multidisciplinary analysis, concentrating on preventive and protective action, and fostering a systemic approach (rather than placing an undue focus on the discrete needs of ‘vulnerable groups’).

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Over the course of a consultation meeting on best practice in care and protection of children associated with fighting forces, consensus methodology was used to identify areas where research was required to strengthen the knowledge base supporting programming policy. Key areas of priority for research and practice development were: livelihood interventions; integration of girls formerly associated with fighting forces; improved monitoring and evaluation strategies; and documenting the comparative effectiveness of community-based psychosocial and clinical interventions.

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This journal article, published in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, outlines necessary intervention strategies for children affected by war. An ecological approach is recommended to address children’s issues as a part of a community. Children should have access to psychosocial programming, including safe spaces. The report describes various programmatic methods and makes recommendations for further actions.

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This paper reviews existing concepts, methods and tools for assessing children’s psychosocial wellbeing and evaluating subsequent interventions. It highlights examples of best practice and makes recommendations regarding some basic principles and minimum standards for working with children.  It is designed to promote sharing of lessons learned and a cross-fertilization of assessment and evaluation strategies. This paper should be considered a “working document” insofar as we hope that its dissemination among colleagues in the field and at headquarters will provide critical review and further input from a variety of disciplines, cultural settings and regional perspectives.

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