Question 1
In the participants responses, they discussed their “Journey to the United States.” On their journey they discussed four main themes. They talked about the mode of journey, the physical pain, the emotional pain, and the help from others (Tello, Castellon, Aguilar, & Sawyer, 2017, page 365). These children come to the United States via train or with the assistance of a coyote, which is a smuggler. The journey is extremely long and throughout the journey the children endure many types of physical pain and trauma. These kids faced intense weather, damage to their feet, and damage to their arms from the terrain and the train. The emotional pain can be severe. Some children witnessed death and other horrific tragedies that will stay with them forever. They also find themselves alone and vulnerable in many situations. Many children reported witnessing sexual assaults and violent attacks, as well. Lastly, the help from others that the children indicated occurred came from Priests and other citizens that they encountered along the way. These acts of kindness helped the kids along their journey.
Question 2
The most pertinent result of the Mental Health study was the fact that the children analyzed in the student had an increased probability of having Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and anxiety. Both of these conditions have life-long determinantal effects and should be avoided if possible. Early detection of these health issues could have a positive effect in mitigating the damage of these conditions. The suggested method to alleviate some of these negative mental health conditions would be to observe them as early as possible and in an ideal situation, deal with them at the family level before things progress too far (Javanbakht, Rosenberg, Haddad, Luay, & Arfken, 2018, page 210).
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Question 3
There are several reasons that the children have an increased risk as unaccompanied minors and refugees. First, they experience the loss of their support system, they are immediately immersed in a new and unfamiliar culture, they miss their loved ones, and they have the language barrier. All of these complications leave the children more vulnerable to situations such as trafficking, sexual abuse, discrimination, and many other negative factors (Tello, Castellon, Aguilar, & Sawyer, 2018, page 365)
Question 4
The Office of Refugee Replacement (ORR) is a government program that is designed to assist unaccompanied minors. They have a process for observing and analyzing the children and then attempting to find the best possible placement for them upon legalization within the US. They bring the children to foster homes, group homes, Influx Care Facility, or sponsorship (Tello, Castellon, Aguilar, & Sawyer, 2018, page 365).
Question 5
The presenting group believes that the United States has a moral obligation to tend to these children and do our best to help them join our nation. Due to the trauma they have already endured, and the high level of vulnerability due to their age and their solitude, they deserve our help.
Question 6
After careful analysis of all of the readings and the presentation, my opinion has not changed on this issue. Prior to the discussion in class, my belief has always been that children are innocent and deserve the benefit of the doubt. I agree with the presenting group. The children are, for the most part, not responsible for their unfortunate circumstances and deserve all the assistance we can give them. They deserve the best opportunity to have a fulfilled life, just as the rest of us. While it is true that the United States can only do so much, I agree that there is a moral obligation for United States citizens to do everything they can to ensure the safety of children everywhere.
- Javanbakht, A., Rosenberg, D., Haddad, Luay, & Arfken, C. (2018). Mental Health in Syrian Refugee Children Resettling in the United States: War Trauma, Migration, and the Role of Parental Stress. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume 57 Number 3, pg. 210.
- Becker Herbst, R., Sabet, R., Swanson, A., Suarez, L., Marques, D., Ameen, E., & Aldarondo, E. (2018). “They Were Going to Kill Me”: Resilience in Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors. The Counseling Psychologist, 46(2), 241-268. doi: 10.1177/0011000018759769
- Tello, Angelica M., Castellon, Nancy E., Aguilar, Alejandra, & Sawyer, Cheryl B. Unaccompanied Refugee Minors From Central America: Understanding Their Journey and Implications for Counselors. The Professional Counselor Volume 7, Issue 4, Pages 365.
