Interventions Supporting the Social Integration of Refugee Children and Youth in School Communities: A Review of the Literature

A Review of the Literature

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18060/21664

Keywords:

migration, refugees, children and youth, prevention

Abstract

Schools function as a primary driver of integration and as a link to resources and assets that promote healthy development. Nevertheless, most research studies on school-based programs are conducted on mainstream students, and school professionals looking to deliver interventions serving refugee students are forced to choose between evidence-based programs designed for the mainstream and developing new programs in the cultural framework of their students. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a summary of recent research on successful, evidence-based programs as well as promising interventions and practice recommendations in five core practice areas in schools: school leadership and culture, teaching, mental health, after-school programming, and school-parent-community partnerships. These findings are presented drawing from theoretical frameworks of ecological systems, social capital, segmented assimilation, resilience, and trauma, and describe how such theories may be used to inform programs serving refugee children and youth. Additionally, this review describes the core components of successful programs across these practice areas to inform researchers and practitioners as they select and develop programs in their own school communities. Finally, this review concludes with a discussion of human rights in the education of refugee children and youth.

Author Biographies

Andrew D. Reynolds, UNC Charlotte

Assistant Professor

UNC Charlotte School of Social Work

Rachel Bacon, UNC Charlotte

MSW Student

UNC Charlotte School of Social Work

References

Bal, A., & Arzubiaga, A. E. (2014). Ahiska refugee families' configuration of resettlement and academic success in U.S. schools. Urban Education, 49(6), 635-665.

Benard, B. (2004). Resiliency: What we have learned. WestEd. San Francisco, CA: WestEd.

Berger Cardoso, J., & Barros Lane, L. (2016). Practice with immigrant and refugee children and families in the mental health system. In A. Dettlaff & R. Fong (Eds.), Immigrant and refugee children and families: Culturally responsive practice. New York: Columbia University Press.

Berthold, S. M. (2000). War traumas and community violence: Psychological, behavioral, and academic outcomes among Khmer refugee adolescents. Journal of Multicultural Social Work, 8(1,2), 15-46.

Block, K., Cross, S., Riggs, E., & Gibbs, L. (2014). Supporting schools to create an inclusive environment for refugee students. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(12), 1337-1355.

Brenner, M. E., & Kia-Keating, M. (2017). Psychosocial and academic adjustment among resettled refugee youth. International Perspectives on Education and Society, 30, 221-249.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Brough, M., Gorman, D., Ramirez, E., & Westoby, P. (2003). Young refugees talk about well-being: A qualitative analysis of refugee youth mental health from three states. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 38(2), 193-208.

Cohen, J. A., Mannarino, A. P., Kliethermes, M., & Murray, L. A. (2012). Trauma-focused CBT for youth with complex trauma. Child Abuse & Neglect, 36(6), 528–541.

Coleman, J. S. (1988). Social capital in the creation of human capital. American Journal of Sociology, 94, S95-S120.

Copley, J., Turpin, M., Gordon, S., & Mclaren, C. (2011). Development and evaluation of an occupational therapy program for refugee high school students, (February), 310–316.

de Anstiss, H., Ziaian, T., Procter, N., Warland, J., & Bachurst, P. (2009). Help-seeking for mental health problems in young refugees: A review of the literature with implications for policy, practice, and research. Transcultural Psychiatry, 46(4), 584–607.

Durlak, J. a, Weissberg, R. P., & Pachan, M. (2010). A meta-analysis of after-school programs that seek to promote personal and social skills in children and adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45(3–4), 294–309.

Ehntholt, K., Smith, P. A., & Yule, W. (2015). School-based cognitive-behavioral therapy group intervention for refugee children who have experienced war-related trauma. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 10(2), 235–250.

Ellis, B. H., Miller, A. B., Baldwin, H., & Abdi, S. (2011). New directions in refugee youth mental health services: Overcoming barriers to engagement. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 4, 69–85.

Evers, S., Van der Brug, M., Van Wesel, F., & Kbrabbendam, L. (2016). Mending the levee: How supernaturally anchored conceptions of the person impact on trauma perception and healing among children (cases from Madagascar and Nepal). Children & Society, 30, 423-433.

Fazel, M., Doll, H., & Stein, A. (2009). A school-based mental health intervention for refugee children: An exploratory study. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 14(2), 297–309.

Georgis, R., Gokiert, R., Ford, D., & Ali, M. (2014). Creating inclusive parent engagement practices: Lessons learned from a school community collaborative supporting newcomer refugee families. Creating Inclusive Parent Engagement, Spring/Sum, 23–28.

Gormez, V., Kılıç, H. N., Orengul, A. C., Nursoy, M., Mert, E. B., Makhlouta, B., … Semerci, B. (2017). Evaluation of a school-based, teacher-delivered psychological intervention group program for trauma-affected Syrian refugee children in Istanbul, Turkey. Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 27(2), 125–131.

Greenberg, J. P. (2013). Determinants of after-school programming for school-age immigrant children. Children and Schools, 35(2), 101–111.

Halcon, L. L., Robertson, C. L., Savik, K., Johnson, D. R., Spring, M. A., Butcher, J. N.,...Jaranson, J. M. (2004). Trauma and coping in Somali and Oromo refugee youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 35, 17-25.

Haller, W., Portes, A., & Lynch, S. M. (2011). Dreams fulfilled, dreams shattered: Determinants of segmented assimilation in the second generation. Social Forces, 89(3), 733-762.

Hornby, G., & Lafaele, R. (2011). Barriers to parental involvement in education: An explanatory model. Educational Review, 63(1), 37–52.

Kanu, Y. (2008). Educational needs and barriers for African refugee students in Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Education, 31(4), 915-940.

Khalifa, M. A., Gooden, M. A., & Davis, J. E. (2016). Culturally responsive school leadership: A synthesis of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 1272–1311.

Kia-Keating, M., & Ellis B. H. (2007). Belonging and connection to school in resettlement: Young refugees, school belonging, and psychosocial adjustment. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 12(29), 29-43.

Kurbegovic, D. (2016). A survey study examining teachers’ perceptions in teaching refugee and immigrant students. University of Washington. Retrieved from https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/handle/1773/36592

Layne, C. M., Saltzman, W. R., Poppleton, L., Burlingame, G. M., Pasalic, A., Durakovic, E.,...Pynoos, R. S. (2008). Effectiveness of a school-based group psychotherapy program for war-exposed adolescents: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(9), 1048-1062.

Lee, S. J., & Hawkins, M. R. (2008). “Family is here”: Learning in community-based after-school programs. Theory into Practice, 47(1), 51–58.

MacNevin, J. (2012). Learning the way: Teaching and learning with and for youth from refugee backgrounds on Prince Edward Island. Canadian Journal of Education, 35(3), 48–63.

Masten, A. S., & Narayan, A. J. (2012). Child development in the context of disaster, war, and terrorism: Pathways of risk and resilience. Annual Review of Psychology, 63(1), 227–257.

McBrien, J. L. (2005). Educational needs and barriers for refugee students in the United States: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 75(3), 329–364.

McBrien, J. L. (2011). The importance of context: Vietnamese, Somali, and Iranian refugee mothers discuss their resettled lives and involvement in their children’s schools. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 41(1), 75–90.

McDonald, L., Moberg, D. P., Brown, R., Rodriguez-Espiricueta, I., Flores, N. I., Burke, M. P., & Coover, G. (2006). After-school multifamily groups: A randomized controlled trial involving low-income, urban, Latino children. Children & Schools, 28(1), 25–34.

Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice, 31(2), 132–141.

Murray, L. K., Cohen, J. A., Ellis, B. H., & Mannarino, A. (2008). Cognitive behavioral therapy for symptoms of trauma and traumatic grief in refugee youth. Child Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 17, 585–604.

Naidoo, L. (2009). Developing social inclusion through after-school homework tutoring: A study of African refugee students in Greater Western Sydney. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 30(3), 261–273.

Nelson, D., Price, E., & Zubrzycki, J. (2014). Integrating human rights and trauma frameworks in social work with people from refugee backgrounds. Australian Social Work, 67(4), 567-581.

Ngo, B. (2017). Naming their world in a culturally responsive space. Journal of Adolescent Research, 32(1), 37–63.

Park, H., Lin, C. H., Liu, C., & Tabb, K. M. (2015). The relationships between after-school programs, academic outcomes, and behavioral developmental outcomes of Latino children from immigrant families: Findings from the 2005 national household education surveys program. Children and Youth Services Review, 53, 77–83.

Pastoor, L. D. W. (2015). The mediational role of schools in supporting psychosocial transitions among unaccompanied young refugees upon resettlement in Norway. International Journal of Educational Development, 41, 245–254.

Portes, A., & Zhou, M. (1993). The new second generation: Segmented assimilation and its variants. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 530, 74-96.

Potocky, M. (2017). Motivational interviewing: A promising practice for refugee resettlement. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 25(3), 247–252.

Pugh, K., Every, D., & Hattam, R. (2012). Inclusive education for students with refugee experience: Whole school reform in a South Australian primary school. Australian Educational Researcher, 39, 125–141.

Putnam, R. D. (1995). Bowling alone: America's declining social capital. Journal of Democracy, 6(1).

Rah, Y., Choi, S., & Nguyen, T. S. T. (2009). Building bridges between refugee parents and schools. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 12(4), 347–365.

Rah, Y. (2013). Leadership Stretched Over School and Community for Refugee Newcomers. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 16(3), 62–76.

Rousseau, C., Drapeau, A., Lacroix, L., Bagilishya, D., & Heusch, N. (2005). Evaluation of a classroom program of creative expression workshops for refugee and immigrant children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 46(2), 180–185.

Rousseau, C., & Guzder, J. (2008). School-based prevention programs for refugee children. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 17(3), 533–549.

Roy, L., & Roxas, K. C. (2011). Whose deficit is this anyhow? Exploring counter-stories of Somali Bantu refugees’ experiences in “doing school.” Harvard Educational Review, 81(3), 521–541.

Ruf, M., Schauer, M., Neuner, F., Catani, C., Schauer, E., & Elbert, T. (2010). Narrative exposure therapy for 7-to 16-year-olds: A randomized controlled trial with traumatized refugee children. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 23(4), 437–445.

Scanlan, M., & López, F. (2014). Leadership for culturally and linguistically responsive schools. New York: Routledge.

Schottelkorb, A. A., Doumas, D. M., & Garcia, R. (2012). Treatment for childhood refugee trauma: A randomized, controlled trial. International Journal of Play Therapy, 21(2), 57–73.

Simpkins, S. D., Riggs, N. R., Ngo, B., Vest Ettekal, A., & Okamoto, D. (2017). Designing culturally responsive organized after-school activities. Journal of Adolescent Research, 32(1), 11–36.

Stanton-Salazar, R. D. (2011). A social capital framework for the study of institutional agents and their role in the empowerment of low-status students and youth. Youth & Society, 43(3), 1066-1109.

Sullivan, A. L., & Simonson, G. R. (2016). A systematic review of school-based social-emotional interventions for refugee and war-traumatized youth. Review of Educational Research, 86(2), 503–530.

Szente, J., Hoot, J., & Taylor, D. (2006). Responding to the special needs of refugee children:

Practical ideas for teachers. Early Childhood Education Journal, 34(1), 15–20.

Taylor, S., & Sidhu, R. K. (2012). Supporting refugee students in schools: What constitutes inclusive education? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 16(1), 39–56.

Thomas, R. L. (2016). The right to quality education for refugee children through social inclusion. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 1(4), 193–201.

Tol, W. A., Komproe, I. H., Jordans, M. J., Vallipuram, A., Sipsma, H., Sivayokan, S., … de

Jong, J. T. (2012). Outcomes and moderators of a preventive school-based mental health intervention for children affected by war in Sri Lanka: A cluster randomized trial. World Psychiatry, 11(2), 114–122.

Tyrer, R. A., & Fazel, M. (2014). School and community-based interventions for refugee and asylum seeking children: A systematic review. PLoS ONE, 9(2).

UNHCR. (2016). Global trends: Forced displacement in 2016. UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency. Retrieved from http://www.unhcr.org/globaltrends2016/.

Unterhitzenberger, J., Eberle-sejari, R., Rassenhofer, M., Sukale, T., & Rosner, R. (2015). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with unaccompanied refugee minors : a case series. BMC Psychiatry, 1–9.

Uptin, J., Wright, J., & Harwood, V. (2013). 'It felt like I was a black dot on white paper': Examining young former refugees' experience of entering Australian high schools. Australian Educational Researcher, 40, 125-137.

Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score. New York: Penguin Group. 99-194.

Weaver, H. N. (2016). Between a rock and a hard place: A trauma-informed approach to documenting the traumatic experiences of Tamil refugees. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 1, 120-130.

Werner, E. E. (1995). Resilience in development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 4(3), 81-85.

Windle, J., & Miller, J. (2012). Approaches to teaching low literacy refugee-background students. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 35(3), 317–333.

Yohani, S. C. (2008). Creating an ecology of hope: Arts-based interventions with refugee children. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 25(4), 309–323.

Downloads

Published

2018-09-18