ABSTRACT
The chapter traces the psychological impact of forced migration on children, generations and societies. Transition as a normative maturational process from childhood to adulthood is juxtaposed to child refugee transition from home to the unknown. An attempt is made to map the challenges on refugee routes in order to explore the traumatic roots of migrants’ experiences. The potential traumatic impact of refugee experiences is discussed and grouped in three categories: 1) failure of the average expectable environment and subsequent cumulative developmental trauma; 2) separation, loss and violence – experienced or witnessed; and 3) family history of dislocation and transgenerational transmission of trauma to later generations.
Applying a theoretical framework of psychoanalytic thinking, a deeper understanding is pursued of inner processes and outer interpersonal and social conflicts. Metaphorical meanings of journey and “moments of meeting” are used to reveal how child refugees crossing geographical territories challenge the existent boundary concepts and invite the creation of “potential transitional spaces” where meeting, exchange and communication between people of different backgrounds are possible and creative.
The text is an invitation to reflect on personal identities, a sense of belonging, and openness to new experiences as a possibility to change with the other. Processes of change, integration, care, etc., are thought of as happening within an interacting dyad.
