GUIDELINES FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAUMA WORK

The trend to make children targets of atrocities secondary to war is o ne of the biggest human tragedies which stirs outrage, while simultane ously mobilizing spontaneous humanitarian impulses of wanting to help, perpetuated by the images in the media of children in anguish and pai n. The issue of psychological trauma caused by violence has become a g lobal epidemic, and the world's most pressing social and public health dilemma. Such traumatization has been shown to have long-lasting deva stating consequences on normal growth and development. This results in much sympathy and concern on the part of adults who are deeply troubl ed seeing children suffer during war and the increasing epidemics of g lobal violence. However, one quickly learns that such sympathetic impu lses need to be harnessed in a productive manner Knowledge and trainin g in the psychopathology and phenomenology of mental illness is not en ough. Alas, the most recent lessons learned in Croatia and Bosnia-Herz egovina were many and the experiences humbling (Joshi, 1996).