Explores the relationship between family experiences of war-related trauma and any subsequent emotional and behavioral problems experienced by adolescents, including difficulties in social adjustment. Study participants were 67 Cambodian refugees living in Montreal, Canada, who were interviewed in their first year of high school and 2 years later. Unlike other study participants, these students were quite young when they left Cambodia and thus had limited exposure to the violence spawned by the Pol Pot regime. Nevertheless, many of the study participants indicated that they felt indebted to their parents and community because of the trauma they survived and therefore were keenly aware of bearing the weight of their families’ expectations. Study results revealed relatively low levels of behavioral problems, but did suggest a positive association between trauma and behavior; that is, the traumatic experiences of the family before the child’s birth may play a protective role in adolescence, countering risky behavior and academic failure in boys and fostering positive social adjustment in terms of friendship and competence in girls. Findings also challenge the notion that trauma is a handicap and suggest a new approach to therapy that focuses on acknowledging traumatic experiences and fostering resilience.
