WEBVTT 00:00:10.478 --> 00:00:12.028 Good Morning 00:00:12.808 --> 00:00:18.098 Worldwide, over 1.5 billion people experience un conflict 00:00:19.137 --> 00:00:21.738 In response, people are forced to flee their country. 00:00:21.738 --> 00:00:25.078 leaving over 15 million refugees. 00:00:25.508 --> 00:00:27.227 children without a doubt are 00:00:27.227 --> 00:00:30.227 the most innocent and vulnerable victims 00:00:30.330 --> 00:00:33.090 but not just from the obvious physical dangers, 00:00:33.158 --> 00:00:37.158 but from, the often, unspoken affects that wars have on their families. 00:00:38.088 --> 00:00:41.088 The experiences of war leave children at real high risk 00:00:41.098 --> 00:00:44.788 for the development of emotional and behavioural problems. 00:00:45.578 --> 00:00:47.508 children as we can only imagine, 00:00:47.508 --> 00:00:49.638 will feel worried, threaten and at risk. 00:00:50.825 --> 00:00:52.435 but there is good news. 00:00:52.435 --> 00:00:54.914 The Quality of care that children recieve 00:00:54.914 --> 00:00:58.234 in their families, can have a more significant effects 00:00:58.234 --> 00:01:00.254 on their well-being, than from 00:01:00.282 --> 00:01:03.822 the actual experiences of war that they have been exposed to. 00:01:04.282 --> 00:01:07.092 So actually, children can be protected 00:01:07.302 --> 00:01:09.490 by warm, secure parenting. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:11.967 during and after conflict. 00:01:13.637 --> 00:01:17.157 In 2011, I was a first year PHD Student 00:01:17.157 --> 00:01:19.127 in the University Of Manchester 00:01:19.127 --> 00:01:21.271 School Of Physiological Sciences. 00:01:21.271 --> 00:01:24.431 Like many of you here, I watched the crisis in Syria 00:01:24.462 --> 00:01:26.352 unfold in front of me on the Tv. 00:01:26.352 --> 00:01:29.842 My family are originally from Syria, and very early on 00:01:29.842 --> 00:01:32.942 I lost several family members in really horrifying ways. 00:01:33.092 --> 00:01:36.632 I sit and I gathered with my family to watch the Tv. 00:01:37.002 --> 00:01:38.662 So we have all seen those scenes, 00:01:38.662 --> 00:01:42.662 barns destroying, buildings, chaos, destruction. 00:01:42.852 --> 00:01:45.382 and people screaming and running. 00:01:45.662 --> 00:01:47.902 it was always the people screaming and running 00:01:47.902 --> 00:01:49.882 that really got me the most. 00:01:49.882 --> 00:01:52.492 Specially those terrified looking children. 00:01:53.574 --> 00:01:57.234 I was a mother to two young, typically inquisitive children. 00:01:57.234 --> 00:01:58.824 They were five and six then. 00:01:59.259 --> 00:02:01.849 At an age when they typically ask lots and lots of questions 00:02:01.849 --> 00:02:04.509 and expect real convincing answers. 00:02:05.578 --> 00:02:08.218 So I began to wonder what it might be like 00:02:08.352 --> 00:02:12.352 to parent my children in a war-zone and a refugee camp. 00:02:12.448 --> 00:02:14.198 Would my children change? 00:02:15.048 --> 00:02:18.228 Would my daughter's bright happy eyes lose their shine? 00:02:18.677 --> 00:02:21.157 would my sons' really relax care-free nature 00:02:21.807 --> 00:02:23.727 become fearful and withdrawn? 00:02:24.799 --> 00:02:26.139 How would I cope? 00:02:27.712 --> 00:02:29.442 Would I change? 00:02:30.552 --> 00:02:32.822 As psychologists and parent's trainers 00:02:32.832 --> 00:02:34.662 we know that arming parents 00:02:34.662 --> 00:02:36.732 with skills and caring for their children 00:02:36.732 --> 00:02:39.182 can have a huge effect on their well-being. 00:02:40.026 --> 00:02:42.436 We call this Parents Training. 00:02:42.436 --> 00:02:43.896 So the questions I had 00:02:43.896 --> 00:02:47.896 was could Parent Training programs be useful for families 00:02:48.083 --> 00:02:50.843 while they're still in war-zones or refugee camps? 00:02:51.202 --> 00:02:53.692 Could we reach them with advise or training 00:02:53.692 --> 00:02:56.272 that would help them through the struggles? 00:02:57.849 --> 00:03:00.039 So, I approached my PHD supervisor, 00:03:00.269 --> 00:03:01.789 professor Rachel Calam, 00:03:01.789 --> 00:03:04.189 with my idea of using my academic skills 00:03:04.189 --> 00:03:06.579 to make some changes in the real world. 00:03:06.579 --> 00:03:09.529 I wasn't quite sure, exactly, what I wanted to do. 00:03:09.529 --> 00:03:11.599 She listened carefully and patiently, 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:12.769 And to my joy, she said: 00:03:12.769 --> 00:03:14.519 "If that is what you want to do, 00:03:14.519 --> 00:03:16.909 and it means so much to you, Let's do it. 00:03:17.349 --> 00:03:20.489 Let's find ways to see if parent programs can be useful 00:03:20.825 --> 00:03:23.455 for families in this contexts." 00:03:23.455 --> 00:03:26.475 So for the past five years myself and my colleagues, 00:03:26.775 --> 00:03:28.785 professor Calam and Dr. Kim Cartwright 00:03:28.905 --> 00:03:31.055 have been working on ways to support families 00:03:31.055 --> 00:03:34.545 that have experienced war and displacement. 00:03:35.089 --> 00:03:36.589 Now, to know how to help families that have been 00:03:37.229 --> 00:03:39.959 through conflict, support their children, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the first step must obviously be 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to ask them what are they struggling with. Right? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I mean, it seems obvious, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but often those are the most vulnerable 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that we are trying to support that we actually don't ask. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 How many times have we just assumed 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we know exactly the right thing that is gonna help 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 someone or something without actually asking 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 them first.