9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Worldwide, over 1.5 billion people[br]experience armed conflict. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In response, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 people are force[br]to the leave their country, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 leaving over 15 million refugees. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Children, without a doubt, are the most[br]innocent and vulnerable victims. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But not just from the obvious[br]physical dangers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but from the often unspoken effects[br]that wars have on their families. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The experiences of war leave children[br]at a real high risk 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 for the development of emotional[br]and behavioral problems. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Children, as we can only imagine, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 will feel worried, threatened and at risk, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but there is good news. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The quality of care that children[br]receive in their families 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 can have a more significant affect[br]on the their wellbeing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 than from the actual experiences of war[br]that they have been exposed to. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So actually, children can be protected[br]by warm, secure parenting 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 during and after conflict. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In 2011, I was a first-year PhD student 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in the University of Manchester's[br]School of Psychological Sciences. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Like many of you here, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I watched the crisis in Syria unfold[br]in front of me on the TV. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My family is originally from Syria, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and very early on, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I lost several family members[br]in really horrifying ways. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'd sit and I'd gather with my family[br]and watch the TV. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So we've all seen those scenes -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 bombs destroying buildings, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 chaos, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 destruction, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and people screaming and running. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It was always the people screaming[br]and running that really got me the most, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 especially those[br]terrified-looking children. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was a mother to two young,[br]typically inquisitive children. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They were five and six then, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 at an age where they typically asked[br]lots and lots of questions, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and expected real, convincing answers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So I began to wonder what it might be like 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to parent my children in a war zone[br]and a refugee camp. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Would my children change? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Would my daughter's bright[br]happy eyes lose their shine? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Would my son's really relaxed and carefree[br]nature become fearful and withdrawn? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How would I cope? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Would I change? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 As psychologists and parent trainers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we know that arming parents with skills[br]in caring for their children 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 can have a huge effect on their wellbeing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We call this parent training. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So the question I had was, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 could parent training programs[br]be useful for families 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 while they were still in war zones[br]or refugee camps? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Could we reach them[br]with advice or training 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that would help them[br]through these struggles? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So, I approached my PhD supervisor, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Professor [Rachel Kalem], 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with the idea of using my academic skills[br]to make some change in the real world. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I wasn't quite sure what[br]exactly I wanted to do. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She listened carefully and patiently, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then to my joy she said, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "If that's what you want to do, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it means so much to you, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 then let's do it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Let's find ways to see if parent programs 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 can be useful for families[br]in these contexts." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So for the past five years, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 myself and my colleagues -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Professor [Kalem] and Dr. Kim [Cartwright] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 have been working on ways[br]to support families 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that have experienced[br]war and displacement. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, to know how to help families[br]that have been through conflict 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 support their children, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the first step must obviously be[br]to ask them what they're struggling with, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 right? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean, it seems obvious. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But it's often those[br]that are the most vulnerable 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that we're trying to support 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that we actually don't ask. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How many times have we just assumed[br]we know exactly the right thing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that's going to help someone or something[br]without actually asking them first? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So I travelled to refugee camps[br]in Syria and in Turkey, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I sat with families, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I listened. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I listened to their parenting challenges, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I listened to their parenting struggles, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I listened to their call for help. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And sometimes that was just [paused], 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as all I could do was[br]hold hands with them, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and just join them in silent[br]crying and prayer. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They told me about their struggles, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they told me about the rough,[br]harsh refugee camp conditions 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that made it hard to focus on anything[br]but practical chores 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 like collecting clean water. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They told me how they watched[br]their children withdraw; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the sadness, depression, anger, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 bed-wetting, thumb-sucking,[br]fear of loud noises, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 fear of nightmares -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 terrifying, terrifying nightmares. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 These families had been through[br]what we had been watching on the TV. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The mothers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 almost half of them were now[br]widows of war, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or didn't even know if their husbands[br]were dead or alive, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 described how they thought they[br]were coping so badly. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They watched their children change, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and they had no idea how to help them. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They didn't know how to answer[br]their children's questions. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What I found incredibly astonishing, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and so motivational, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 was that these families were so motivated[br]to support their children 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 despite all these challenges they faced, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they were trying to help their children. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They were making attempts at seeking[br]support from NGO workers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 from refugee camp teachers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 professional medics, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 other parents. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One mother I met had only been[br]in a camp for four days, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and had already made two attempts 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 at seeking support for[br]her eight-year-old daughter 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who was having terrible nightmares. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But sadly, these attempts[br]are almost always useless. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Refugee camp doctors, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when available, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are almost always too busy, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or don't have the knowledge or the time[br]for basic parenting supports. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Refugee camp teachers and other parents[br]are just like them -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 part of new refugee community[br]who's struggling with new needs. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So then we began to think. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How could we help these families? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The families were struggling with things[br]much bigger than they could cope with. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The Syrian crisis made it clear how[br]incredibly impossible it would be 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to reach families on an individual level. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How else could we help them? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How would reach families[br]at a population level, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and at low costs 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in these terrifying, terrifying times. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 After hours of speaking to NGO workers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 one suggested a fantastic, innovative idea 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of distributing parenting[br]information leaflets via breadwrappers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Bread wrappers that were being delivered[br]to famlies in a conflict zone in Syria 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 by humanitarian workers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So that's what we did. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The bread wrappers haven't changed[br]at all in their appearance, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 except for the addition[br]of two pieces of paper. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One was a parenting information leaflet[br]that had basic advice 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and information[br]that normalized to the parent 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 what they might be experiencing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and what their child[br]might be experiencing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And information on how they could[br]support themselves and their children, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 such as information like spending[br]time talking to your child, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 showing them more affection, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 being more patient with your child, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 talking to your children. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The other piece of paper[br]was a feedback questionnaire, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and of course, there was a pen. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So is this simply leaflet distribution, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or is this actually a possible means[br]of delievering psychological first-aid 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that provides warm, secure,[br]loving parenting? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We managed to distribute 3,000[br]of these in just one week. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What was incredible was we had[br]a 60 percent response rate. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 60 percent of the 3,0000[br]families responded. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I don't know how many researchers[br]we have here today, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but that kind of response rate[br]is fantastic. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 To have that in Manchester would be[br]a huge achievement, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 let alone in a conflict zone in Syria -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 really highlighting how important[br]these kinds of messages were to families. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I remember how excited and eager we were[br]for the return of the questionnaires. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The families had left[br]hundreds of messages -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 most incredibly positive and encouraging. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But my favorite has got to be, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Thank you for not forgetting[br]about us and our children." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This really illustrates[br]the potential means 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of the delievery of psychological[br]first-aid to families, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the return of feedback, too. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Just imagine replicating this[br]using other means, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 such as baby milk distribution, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or female hygeine kits, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 or even food baskets. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But let's bring this closer to home, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because the refugee crisis 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is one that is having an effect[br]on every singly one of us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We're bombarded with images daily[br]of statistics and of photos, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and that's not surprising, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because by last month, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 over one million refugees[br]had reached Europe. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 One million. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Refugees are joining our communities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 they're becoming our neighbors, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 their children are attending[br]our children's schools. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So we've adapted the leaflet to meet[br]the needs of European refugees, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we have them online,[br]open-access, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in areas with a really high[br]refugee influx. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 For example, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the Swedish Healthcare uploaded it[br]onto their website, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and within the first 45 minutes, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it was downloaded 343 times -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 really highlighting how important it is[br]for volunteers, practitioners, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and other parents 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to have open-access, psychological[br]first-aid messages. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In 2013, I was sitting on the cold[br]hard floor of a refugee camp tent 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with mothers sitting around me 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as I was conducting a focus group. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Across from me stood an elederly lady 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with what seemed to be[br]a 13-year-old girl lying beside her, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with her head on her elderly lady's knees. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The girl stayed quiet[br]throughout the focus group, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 not talking at all, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with her knees curled up[br]against her chest. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Towards the end of the focus group, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and as I was thanking[br]the mothers for their time, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the elderly lady looked at me[br]while point at the young girl, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and said to me, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Can you help us with...?" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Not quite sure what she expected me to do, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I looked at the young girl and smiled, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and in Arabic I said, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Salaam Alaikum, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 mā ismak?" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "What's your name?" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She looked at me really[br]confused and unengaged, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but then said, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Halul." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Halul is the pet's name for the Arabic[br]female name, Hala, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and is only really used to refer[br]to really young girls. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 At that point I realized that actually[br]Hala was probably much older than 13. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It turns out Hala was a 25-year-old mother[br]to three young children. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Hala had been a confident, bright,[br]bubbly, loving, caring mother 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to her children, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but the war had changed all of that. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She had lived through bombs[br]being dropped in her town; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 she had lived through explosions. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When fighter jets were flying[br]around their building, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 dropping bombs, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 her children would be screaming, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 terrified from the noise. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Hala would frantically grab pillows[br]and cover her children's ears 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to block out the noise, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 all the while screaming herself. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When they reached the refugee camp, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and she knew they were finally[br]in some kind of safety, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 she completely withdrew to acting[br]like her old childhood self. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She compeltely rejected her family... 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 her children, her husband. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Hala simply could no longer cope. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This is a parenting struggle[br]with a really tough ending, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but sadly, it's not uncommon. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Those who experience armed[br]conflict and displacement 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 will face serious emotional stuggles. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And that's something we can all relate to. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 If you have been through[br]a devastating time in your life, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 if you have lost someone or something[br]you really care about, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 how would you continue to cope? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Could you still be able to care[br]for yourself and for your family?