0:00:10.478,0:00:12.028 Good Morning 0:00:12.808,0:00:18.098 Worldwide, over 1.5 billion people [br]experience un conflict 0:00:19.137,0:00:21.738 In response, people are forced to flee [br]their country. 0:00:21.738,0:00:25.078 leaving over 15 million refugees. 0:00:25.508,0:00:27.227 children without a doubt are 0:00:27.227,0:00:30.227 the most innocent and vulnerable victims 0:00:30.330,0:00:33.090 but not just from the obvious[br]physical dangers, 0:00:33.158,0:00:37.158 but from, the often, unspoken affects[br]that wars have on their families. 0:00:38.088,0:00:41.088 The experiences of war leave children [br]at real high risk 0:00:41.098,0:00:44.788 for the development of emotional [br]and behavioural problems. 0:00:45.578,0:00:47.508 children as we can only imagine, 0:00:47.508,0:00:49.638 will feel worried, threaten and at risk. 0:00:50.825,0:00:52.435 but there is good news. 0:00:52.435,0:00:54.914 The Quality of care that children recieve 0:00:54.914,0:00:58.234 in their families, can have a more significant effects 0:00:58.234,0:01:00.254 on their well-being, than from 0:01:00.282,0:01:03.822 the actual experiences of war that [br]they have been exposed to. 0:01:04.282,0:01:07.092 So actually, children can be protected 0:01:07.302,0:01:09.490 by warm, secure parenting. 0:01:09.920,0:01:11.967 during and after conflict. 0:01:13.637,0:01:17.157 In 2011, I was a first year PHD Student 0:01:17.157,0:01:19.127 in the University Of Manchester 0:01:19.127,0:01:21.271 School Of Physiological Sciences. 0:01:21.271,0:01:24.162 Like many of you here, I watched [br]the crisis in Syria 0:01:24.162,0:01:26.352 unfold in front of me on the Tv. 0:01:26.352,0:01:29.842 My family are originally from Syria,[br]and very early on 0:01:29.842,0:01:32.942 I lost several family members[br]in really horrifying ways. 0:01:33.292,0:01:36.632 I sit and I gathered with my family [br]and watched the TV. 0:01:37.002,0:01:38.662 So we have all seen those scenes, 0:01:38.662,0:01:42.662 bombs destroying, buildings, [br]chaos, destruction. 0:01:42.852,0:01:45.382 and people screaming and running. 0:01:45.662,0:01:47.902 it was always the people screaming[br]and running 0:01:47.902,0:01:49.712 that really got me the most. 0:01:49.712,0:01:52.492 Specially those terrified looking children. 0:01:53.574,0:01:57.234 I was a mother to two young,[br]typically inquisitive children. 0:01:57.234,0:01:58.824 They were five and six then. 0:01:59.259,0:02:01.849 At an age when they typically ask lots and lots of questions 0:02:01.849,0:02:04.509 and expect real convincing answers. 0:02:05.578,0:02:08.218 So I began to wonder what it might be like 0:02:08.352,0:02:12.352 to parent my children in a war-zone [br]and a refugee camp. 0:02:12.448,0:02:14.198 Would my children change? 0:02:14.768,0:02:18.228 Would my daughter's bright happy eyes lose their shine? 0:02:18.677,0:02:21.157 Would my sons' really relax [br]care-free nature 0:02:21.807,0:02:23.727 become fearful and withdrawn? 0:02:24.799,0:02:26.139 How would I cope? 0:02:27.712,0:02:29.442 Would I change? 0:02:30.552,0:02:32.822 As psychologists and parent's trainers 0:02:32.832,0:02:34.662 we know that arming parents 0:02:34.662,0:02:36.732 with skills and caring for their children 0:02:36.732,0:02:39.182 can have a huge effect on their well-being. 0:02:40.026,0:02:42.436 We call this parents training. 0:02:42.436,0:02:43.896 So the questions I had 0:02:43.896,0:02:47.896 was could Parent Training programs be useful for families 0:02:48.083,0:02:50.843 while they're still in war-zones or refugee camps? 0:02:51.202,0:02:53.692 Could we reach them with advise or training 0:02:53.692,0:02:56.272 that would help them through the struggles? 0:02:57.849,0:03:00.039 So, I approached my PHD supervisor, 0:03:00.269,0:03:01.789 professor Rachel Calam, 0:03:01.789,0:03:04.189 with the idea of using my academic skills 0:03:04.189,0:03:06.579 to make some changes in the real world. 0:03:06.579,0:03:09.529 I wasn't quite sure, exactly, what I wanted to do. 0:03:09.529,0:03:11.599 She listened carefully and patiently, 0:03:11.599,0:03:12.769 And to my joy, she said: 0:03:12.769,0:03:14.519 "If that is what you want to do, 0:03:14.519,0:03:16.909 and it means so much to you, then [br]let's do it. 0:03:17.349,0:03:20.489 Let's find ways to see if parent programs can be useful 0:03:20.825,0:03:23.455 for families in this contexts." 0:03:23.455,0:03:26.475 So for the past five years myself and my colleagues, 0:03:26.775,0:03:28.785 professor Calam and Dr. Kim Cartwright 0:03:28.905,0:03:31.045 have been working on ways to support families 0:03:31.355,0:03:34.545 that have experienced war and displacement. 0:03:35.259,0:03:36.759 Now, to know how to help families that have been 0:03:37.229,0:03:39.959 through conflict, support their children, 0:03:40.244,0:03:41.964 the first step must obviously be 0:03:41.974,0:03:44.744 to ask them what are they struggling with. Right? 0:03:44.914,0:03:46.264 I mean, it seems obvious, 0:03:46.594,0:03:48.274 but often those are the most vulnerable 0:03:48.274,0:03:51.414 that we are trying to support that we actually don't ask. 0:03:51.554,0:03:53.394 How many times have we just assumed 0:03:53.394,0:03:56.244 we know exactly the right thing that is gonna help someone or something 0:03:56.394,0:03:58.364 without actually asking them first. 0:03:59.044,0:04:02.334 So i travelled to the refugee camps in Syria and in Turkey. 0:04:03.044,0:04:05.184 And i sat with families and i listened. 0:04:06.254,0:04:08.764 I listened to the parenting challenges 0:04:08.764,0:04:10.654 I listened to the parenting struggles 0:04:10.994,0:04:13.044 And I listened to their call for help 0:04:13.736,0:04:17.736 And sometimes that was just [br]bored is all I could do [br] 0:04:17.736,0:04:19.546 and destroy them and silence [br]crying and prayer 0:04:20.387,0:04:22.365 So they told me about their struggles 0:04:22.455,0:04:26.675 They told me about the ruffle, harsh[br]refugee camp condition 0:04:27.375,0:04:31.035 That makes it hard forcusing on [br]anything but practical choses 0:04:31.035,0:04:32.565 like connecting team water 0:04:32.565,0:04:36.565 He told me how they watch their [br]children draw 0:04:36.565,0:04:40.565 the sadness, depression, anger[br]bed-wetting, thumb sucking 0:04:41.557,0:04:45.667 fear of loud noisy, fear of nightmares[br]terrify terrify nightmares 0:04:47.958,0:04:51.958 what we had been watching on TV 0:04:52.024,0:04:56.024 the mothers almost had