Considering the high levels of violence throughout the Northern Triangle (countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) in addition to poverty, food insecurity, political turmoil, and domestic violence, unaccompanied children and families alike leave their countries in search of safety and improved lives.
As many of them have ties to relatives and communities in the United States… Central American refugees will continue to try to make their way to the United States…the flows can be expected to persist, if not increase.
The children who end up in our local communities and schools are suffering with extremely high numbers of adverse experiences. As a trauma psychotherapist who works primarily with adult refugees, I use the ACE International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) as a measure, as well as a means for collecting data. However, I am increasingly seeing their traumatized children for whom there is no ACE questionnaire- that I am aware of. I am curious what efforts are in place for collecting data on this growing young demographic?
Please feel free to email me or post your response here.
rebecca.tavangar@gmail.com