Toll Of Conflict In Eastern Ukraine Leads To Increased Aggression, Anxiety, And Substance Abuse In Children

One year since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, anxiety, addiction and violence are on the rise among children, with new research revealing the devastating consequences of the conflict on young people.

A survey of more than 450 children aged between nine and 17 found that four out of five children were “extremely concerned” about their safety, with a third listing violence as one of their top three worries.

The research was conducted by international aid agency, World Vision and its Ukrainian partner Arms of Mercy, in three of the most conflict-affected regions in the east of the country, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Dnipro.

World Vision’s Director for the Ukraine Crisis Response, Chris Palusky, says addiction issues are of particular concern.

“Even before the escalation of conflict last February, almost one in five children in Eastern Ukraine were smoking or using synthetic drugs as they coped with the constant stress of the ongoing political situation which resulted in violence, displacement and separated families.

“However, the reliance on cigarettes and other drugs is now on the rise. Our survey found that almost 80% of teen boys now think that their peers have turned to smoking and other drugs to cope. This is extremely alarming,” he says.

Since February 2022, the situation in Ukraine has rapidly deteriorated. Almost 54 civilians have been killed or injured every day1, and more than 17 million people in Ukraine need urgent humanitarian assistance.2 Many children have lost their homes or have had to move to safer places.

Other key highlights from the research include:

• Nearly half of children surveyed said their home had suffered some form of damage
• One in five children said their peers were using violence as a coping mechanism
• More than half said children were using smoking and other addictions as a coping mechanism; this rises to 77% for boys aged 14-17
• A third of children said the threat of violence was one of their top three worries
• Eight out of ten children said safety was one of their top three worries.

World Vision New Zealand director, Grant Bayldon, says tragically a future of mental health problems likely awaits many of this young generation of Ukrainians.

“Children are struggling to cope with trauma piled on top of trauma. Based on the experiences of other children and families affected by conflict, we can expect that more than 1.5 million children in Ukraine may develop depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder or schizophrenia as a result of their experiences during the war,”3 he says.

Bayldon says World Vision staff who are working to provide support to young Ukrainians report changes in the way children behave.

“In addition to increased substance abuse, our staff and partners tell us that children are increasingly fearful and struggle to contain their emotions.

“One in five children say their peers are turning to physical violence as a coping mechanism. They want to take revenge on others as they see relatives hurt by shelling, parents away on the frontlines, and it all feels desperately unjust.”

Palusky says further stress is heaped on families as they suffer the economic consequences of the conflict, and cannot afford the things they used to.

He says education, so crucial for providing a sense of normality for young people, is all but impossible for many in Ukraine.

“Frequent power outages and air alarms are keeping many children out of school as they struggle to connect to online classes from bunkers.

"Restoring a sense of normalcy for children is crucial and all parties to the conflict must respect and uphold committments to international humanitarian and human rights law. Without peace, children in Ukraine will continue to pay a severe mental, as well as physical, toll.”

Bayldon says New Zealanders have played their part to help provide a sense of normal life for children who have fled Ukraine for Romania with an education and mental health programme.

World Vision New Zealand, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is jointly funding the programme which will support more than 7,000 children.

1. https://www.ohchr.org/en/news/2023/02/ukraine-civilian-casualty-update-6-february-2023

2. https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-humanitarian-needs-overview-2023-december-2022-enuk

3. https://www.wvi.org/publications/report/emergencies/no-peace-mind

4. https://www.wvi.org/publications/report/ukraine/december-2022-ucr-situation-report-we-have-reached-613393-people

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