Unaccompanied minors on the move : trauma-informed practices and the healing power of storytelling in social-work practices
- Author
- Marina Rota (UGent) , Ine Lietaert (UGent) and Ilse Derluyn (UGent)
- Organization
- Project
-
- CHILDMOVE (The impact of flight experiences on the psychological wellbeing of unaccompanied refugee minors)
- Abstract
- This chapter explores the experiences of unaccompanied refugee minors through the lens of Judith Herman's trauma theory, examining how social workers supporting these young people integrate this lens in their social work practices. Through an analysis of minors’ narratives collected in the framework of a longitudinal study, ChildMove, the chapter highlights the impact of trauma on unaccompanied minors and underscores the importance of trauma-informed interventions in promoting their well-being. The young refugees’ narratives highlight the pivotal role of social workers in Herman's three central foci, establishing safety, reconstructing the trauma story and restoring the connection between survivors and their community. Yet, the chapter also shows how the conditions in reception and care structures often strongly limit social workers’ action radius, preventing them from totally engaging with this trauma-informed approach. The chapter concludes with some reflections on how Herman's trauma theory connects with the specific population of young unaccompanied refugees on the move, and formulates recommendations for both policy and practice.
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01KEM19Z2AG8BR9R2ECATJYNKN
- MLA
- Rota, Marina, et al. “Unaccompanied Minors on the Move : Trauma-Informed Practices and the Healing Power of Storytelling in Social-Work Practices.” The Routledge Handbook of Social Work and Migration : Theory, Practice, Education and Research, edited by Sofia Dedotsi et al., Routledge, 2025, pp. 149–68, doi:10.4324/9781032692272-13.
- APA
- Rota, M., Lietaert, I., & Derluyn, I. (2025). Unaccompanied minors on the move : trauma-informed practices and the healing power of storytelling in social-work practices. In S. Dedotsi, E. Cabiati, & E. J. Gomez-Ciriano (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of social work and migration : theory, practice, education and research (pp. 149–168). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032692272-13
- Chicago author-date
- Rota, Marina, Ine Lietaert, and Ilse Derluyn. 2025. “Unaccompanied Minors on the Move : Trauma-Informed Practices and the Healing Power of Storytelling in Social-Work Practices.” In The Routledge Handbook of Social Work and Migration : Theory, Practice, Education and Research, edited by Sofia Dedotsi, Elena Cabiati, and Emilio José Gomez-Ciriano, 149–68. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032692272-13.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Rota, Marina, Ine Lietaert, and Ilse Derluyn. 2025. “Unaccompanied Minors on the Move : Trauma-Informed Practices and the Healing Power of Storytelling in Social-Work Practices.” In The Routledge Handbook of Social Work and Migration : Theory, Practice, Education and Research, ed by. Sofia Dedotsi, Elena Cabiati, and Emilio José Gomez-Ciriano, 149–168. London: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781032692272-13.
- Vancouver
- 1.Rota M, Lietaert I, Derluyn I. Unaccompanied minors on the move : trauma-informed practices and the healing power of storytelling in social-work practices. In: Dedotsi S, Cabiati E, Gomez-Ciriano EJ, editors. The Routledge handbook of social work and migration : theory, practice, education and research. London: Routledge; 2025. p. 149–68.
- IEEE
- [1]M. Rota, I. Lietaert, and I. Derluyn, “Unaccompanied minors on the move : trauma-informed practices and the healing power of storytelling in social-work practices,” in The Routledge handbook of social work and migration : theory, practice, education and research, S. Dedotsi, E. Cabiati, and E. J. Gomez-Ciriano, Eds. London: Routledge, 2025, pp. 149–168.
@incollection{01KEM19Z2AG8BR9R2ECATJYNKN,
abstract = {{This chapter explores the experiences of unaccompanied refugee minors through the lens of Judith Herman's trauma theory, examining how social workers supporting these young people integrate this lens in their social work practices. Through an analysis of minors’ narratives collected in the framework of a longitudinal study, ChildMove, the chapter highlights the impact of trauma on unaccompanied minors and underscores the importance of trauma-informed interventions in promoting their well-being. The young refugees’ narratives highlight the pivotal role of social workers in Herman's three central foci, establishing safety, reconstructing the trauma story and restoring the connection between survivors and their community. Yet, the chapter also shows how the conditions in reception and care structures often strongly limit social workers’ action radius, preventing them from totally engaging with this trauma-informed approach. The chapter concludes with some reflections on how Herman's trauma theory connects with the specific population of young unaccompanied refugees on the move, and formulates recommendations for both policy and practice.}},
author = {{Rota, Marina and Lietaert, Ine and Derluyn, Ilse}},
booktitle = {{The Routledge handbook of social work and migration : theory, practice, education and research}},
editor = {{Dedotsi, Sofia and Cabiati, Elena and Gomez-Ciriano, Emilio José}},
isbn = {{9781032692272}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{149--168}},
publisher = {{Routledge}},
title = {{Unaccompanied minors on the move : trauma-informed practices and the healing power of storytelling in social-work practices}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.4324/9781032692272-13}},
year = {{2025}},
}
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