Speaker
Description
Context: Millions of children and adolescents globally endure conflict, shaping their self-perceptions, worldviews, and social attitudes. In the Philippines, youth from areas affected by the Marawi Siege and its aftermath (Marawi and Iligan City) represent a critical population for understanding the long-term psychosocial impact of war exposure.
Objective: This study investigates the intergenerational and individual factors that foster constructive attitudes towards peace and conflict resolution in post-conflict adolescents. We specifically contend that family dynamics, known to influence social behavior, impact peace attitudes, and that this association is transmitted through the development of emotional regulation strategies (ERS).
Methodology: A total of 430 adolescents, aged 13-18, from schools in Marawi and Iligan City participated using purposive sampling. Standardized measures assessed family dynamics (specifically family cohesion), frequency of emotional regulation strategies, and attitude towards peace/conflict resolution. A mediation analysis was conducted to test the hypothesized model.
Results: The findings revealed a significant relationship between family dynamics, particularly family cohesion, and attitude towards peace. Crucially, emotional regulation strategies were found to significantly mediate this relationship. This implies that a strong sense of family togetherness (cohesion) promotes the use of adaptive ERS, which in turn strengthens a positive attitude towards peace.
Implications for Psychotrauma: These results strongly suggest that interventions aimed at healing from conflict must move beyond individual therapy to target and strengthen family cohesion as a primary protective factor. By fostering supportive family environments, practitioners can indirectly enhance adolescents’ emotional competencies, leading to more resilient and peace-oriented social attitudes. This mediation model provides an actionable framework for community-based psychosocial programming in post-conflict settings.
Keywords: Family Cohesion, Emotional Regulation Strategies, Attitude Towards Peace, Post-Conflict Youth, Marawi Crisis, Psychosocial Interventions
