Title: From seeking truths to seeking stories: the contribution of social sciences in the exploration of the reality of former child soldiers

Authors: Sarah Fraser; Myriam Denov; Cécile Rousseau; Marie-Laure Daxhelet

Addresses: Université de Montréal, École de psychoéducation, Pavillon Marie-Victorin C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal (QC), H3C 3J6, Canada ' School of Social Work, McGill University; 3506 University Street, Room 304, Montreal (QC), H3A 2A7, Canada ' CSSS de la Montagne – ERIT, 7085, rue Hutchison, suite 204.2, Montréal (QC), H3N 1Y9, Canada ' Faculté des lettreset sciences humaines, Département de psychologie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500, boul. de l'Université Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke (QC), J1K 2R1, Canada

Abstract: Former child soldiers seeking refuge within the Global North may experience a number of obstacles throughout the legal process. One major obstacle is telling one's story in a way that meets the criteria for refugee status and finds credibility among those assessing the case. Exploring the literature on narrative development as well as the literature on the reintegration of former child soldiers we lay a theoretical basis to argue that the story that former child soldiers will offer will be influenced by the social, political, cultural positions of the various systems they interact with. Our reflections bring us to the conclusion that a fair assessment of former child soldiers' experiences is one that not only looks for truths and assesses credibility but rather one that analyses the social and political forces that participate in constructing such stories in the first place, including the forces within the systems of the Global North.

Keywords: former child soldiers; refugee assessment; refugees; narrative; fair assessment; social sciences; refugee status; credibility; social forces; political forces; cultural forces.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMBS.2014.068970

International Journal of Migration and Border Studies, 2014 Vol.1 No.3, pp.303 - 320

Received: 12 May 2014
Accepted: 03 Dec 2014
Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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