On the basis of refugee children from Bosnia-Herzegovina living in Germany this volume shows how traumatizations stemming from war and other sociopolitical factors can reinforce each other.Despite multiple stresses experienced in war zones, refugee children seldom show obvious psychological consequences or behavioural abnormalities; rather, they often appear to be well adjusted in their new homeland. The psychologist Ilka Lennertz combines approaches from trauma and attachment research to study how one can detect hidden traumatization processes in such children. It becomes clear that the developmental processes of these children are shaped by their own experiences and those of their parents as well as by the sociopolitical situation and their status as foreign refugees. This study also looks at the way in which traumatization is worked through by children and how one can best support them in this process.

Dr. phil. Ilka Lennertz ist Psychologin an der Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie der Universitätsklinik Dresden.