Spirituality and Resilience in Cambodia: A Trauma-informed Perspective

A vast number of children and young people globally face the harsh realities of war, genocide, natural disasters and other such tragedies. Yet there is limited research and few published studies that look specifically at how spirituality can be utilized as a trauma-informed approach to promote resilience and wellbeing for young people. Earlier research conducted with teachers and clinicians working with traumatized children at Hagar International Cambodia indicated a convergence of trauma-informed themes. In particular, a religious and spiritual approach to resilience was identified as one of the key factors for children in their recovery from trauma (Wyatt, et al, 2017; 2018). Hagar is a faith-based human rights organization providing advocacy services for women and children who have survived the most extreme cases of human rights abuse (Hagar International, 2015). This research continues with young people who have been supported by Hagar, exploring the protective factors that promote wellbeing and resilience. GJHSS-C Classification: FOR Code: 160809 SpiritualityandResilienceinCambodiaATraumainformedPerspective Strictly as per the compliance and regulations of: By Zoe Wyatt & Mike Nowlin © 2019. Zoe Wyatt & Mike Nowlin. This is a research/review paper, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License http://creative commons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), permitting all non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Spirituality and Resilience in Cambodia: A Trauma-informed Perspective AbstractA vast number of children and young people globally face the harsh realities of war, genocide, natural disasters and other such tragedies. Yet there is limited research and few published studies that look specifically at how spirituality can be utilized as a trauma-informed approach to promote resilience and wellbeing for young people. Earlier research conducted with teachers and clinicians working with traumatized children at Hagar International Cambodia indicated a convergence of trauma-informed themes. In particular, a religious and spiritual approach to resilience was identified as one of the key factors for children in their recovery from trauma (Wyatt, et al, 2017; 2018). Hagar is a faith-based human rights organization providing advocacy services for women and children who have survived the most extreme cases of human rights abuse (Hagar International, 2015). This research continues with young people who have been supported by Hagar, exploring the protective factors that promote wellbeing and resilience. It is expected that for these young survivors of trafficking, gender-based violence and abuse, that religion and spirituality may offer a framework for life that bring meaning to individuals in the face of adversity. This article brings together current research and practice, in an exploration of spirituality and resilience for trauma survivors in Cambodia. A vast number of children and young people globally face the harsh realities of war, genocide, natural disasters and other such tragedies. Yet there is limited research and few published studies that look specifically at how spirituality can be utilized as a trauma-informed approach to promote resilience and wellbeing for young people. Earlier research conducted with teachers and clinicians working with traumatized children at Hagar International Cambodia indicated a convergence of trauma-informed themes. In particular, a religious and spiritual approach to resilience was identified as one of the key factors for children in their recovery from trauma (Wyatt, et al, 2017; 2018). Hagar is a faith-based human rights organization providing advocacy services for women and children who have survived the most extreme cases of human rights abuse (Hagar International, 2015). This research continues with young people who have been supported by Hagar, exploring the protective factors that promote wellbeing and resilience. It is expected that for these young survivors of trafficking, gender-based violence and abuse, that religion and spirituality may offer a framework for life that bring meaning to individuals in the face of adversity. This article brings together current research and practice, in an exploration of spirituality and resilience for trauma survivors in Cambodia. I. Resilience in a Cambodian Context here has been minimal inquiry into how resilience is defined by varying populations outside of a Western framework and little is known about how the current construct of resilience applies to nonwestern populations, particularly within marginalized groups (Boyden & Mann, 2005; Ungar, 2004). Furthermore, there is a divergence of resilience research that is contradictory to adversity reactions detailed in the research of Western cultures. For example, the Western sense of autonomy in mental health support (ie. going to see a therapist), rather than the protective wall of community found in much of rural Asia may impact as to how PTSD symptoms are experienced. Ungar (2008) argues that the characteristics of resiliency differs significantly from culture to culture, largely impacted by the length of time exposed to adversity and the individual’s capacity to locate adequate support, within a culturally meaningful environment that promotes wellbeing. Limited research exists on how marginalized youth in low and middle income countries, particularly those who are or have been involved in the sexual exploitation, are able to bounce back from adversity, when many have not experienced the quality of care and attachment necessary to promote essential development in their young lives. Moreover, it is argued that whilst health professionals working with trauma survivors may have access to psychosocial guidelines that operate in the West, they often fail to recogise cultural explanatory models that are being used by survivors towards building personal and group resilience (Overland, 2013). The ill-treatment of children needs to be seen in the context of Cambodian history and culture, the devastation caused by the Khmer Rouge (KR) regime (1975-79), intergenerational trauma and the complex current socio-economic climate which does not lend itself to a simple explanation (Wyatt, et al, 2016). The devastating outcomes of the genocide inflicted by the Khmer Rouge regime and then the twenty years of international isolation that followed continue to have broader societal implications (Bockers et al, 2011; Field et al, 2013). This is largely due to half the population being under the age of 25, which causes numerous problems and leads to unrest, unemployment and higher levels of migration (US State Department, 2017). Cambodia continues to be a vulnerable nation for human trafficking, as a source, transit and destination country for traffickers (United Nations, 2017). This vulnerability and the increase in human trafficking can be contributed to a number of factors including poverty and high-unemployment (especially for adolescents and youth), increased sex tourism, a socio-economic imbalance between rural and urban populations and a lack of basic education and safe migration (Reimer et al, 2007). Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in Asia and 28.3% of the population survive on less than $2.30 USD per day (World Bank, 2017). II. The Construct of Resiliency There has been minimal inquiry into how resilience is defined by varying populations outside of a Western framework and little is known about how the current construct of resilience applies to non-western populations, particularly within marginalized groups (Boyden & Mann, 2005; Ungar, 2004). Furthermore, there is a divergence of resilience research that is contradictory to adversity reactions detailed in the research of Western cultures. For example, the Western sense of autonomy in mental health support (ie. going to T V ol um e X IX I ss ue I V er sio n I 1