IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v160y2024ics0190740924001130.html

“Little by little, I go”: Multiple dimensions of distress and support for unaccompanied children in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Hasson III, Robert G.
  • Oliva, Clara A.
  • LaBella, Bianca
  • Rodriguez, Dahiana

Abstract

Unaccompanied children are a vulnerable group of immigrants who arrive to the United States (US) without a parent or caregiver. A growing body of research demonstrates that unaccompanied children experience trauma before, during, and after their arrival to the US. A gap in research in the US is a deeper understanding of how unaccompanied children describe the challenges they experience in resettlement, and what they perceive as most helpful as they adjust to new communities and social settings. This qualitative study is guided by the category fallacy theoretical framework and includes analysis of in-depth interviews with unaccompanied children who resettled in the US (n = 16). Findings reveal that unaccompanied children experience family separation and family reunification as distinct challenges. In addition, unaccompanied children perceive schools and social support as helpful with adjusting to new communities. The findings can inform how service providers design interventions and encourage policy makers to streamline school enrollment procedures.

Suggested Citation

  • Hasson III, Robert G. & Oliva, Clara A. & LaBella, Bianca & Rodriguez, Dahiana, 2024. "“Little by little, I go”: Multiple dimensions of distress and support for unaccompanied children in the United States," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:160:y:2024:i:c:s0190740924001130
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107541
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740924001130
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107541?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bracken, Patrick J. & Giller, Joan E. & Summerfield, Derek, 1995. "Psychological responses to war and atrocity: The limitations of current concepts," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 40(8), pages 1073-1082, April.
    2. Roth, Benjamin J. & Grace, Breanne L., 2015. "Falling through the cracks: The paradox of post-release services for unaccompanied child migrants," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 244-252.
    3. Doering-White, John, 2018. "The shifting boundaries of “best interest”: Sheltering unaccompanied Central American minors in transit through Mexico," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 39-47.
    4. Cardoso, Jodi Berger, 2018. "Running to stand still: Trauma symptoms, coping strategies, and substance use behaviors in unaccompanied migrant youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 143-152.
    5. Zhang, Wei & Hong, Seunghye & Takeuchi, David T. & Mossakowski, Krysia N., 2012. "Limited English proficiency and psychological distress among Latinos and Asian Americans," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(6), pages 1006-1014.
    6. Crea, Thomas M. & Lopez, Anayeli & Hasson, Robert G. & Evans, Kerri & Palleschi, Caroline & Underwood, Dawnya, 2018. "Unaccompanied immigrant children in long term foster care: Identifying needs and best practices from a child welfare perspective," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 56-64.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kerri Evans, 2023. "Policy and Legal Implications for Working with Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in Foster Care in the United States," Laws, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-13, March.
    2. Esther Salmerón-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2018. "Unaccompanied Minors: Worldwide Research Perspectives," Publications, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Lovato, Kristina & Hieu Thuan Bui, Daniel & Zaragoza, Michelle, 2025. "Understanding the Needs of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Separated from their Parents during the “Zero Tolerance” Policy in the US: A Systematic Review of the Literature," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    4. Jani, Jayshree S. & Reisch, Michael, 2018. "Assisting the least among us: Social work's historical response to unaccompanied immigrant and refugee youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 4-14.
    5. Cardoso, Jodi Berger, 2018. "Running to stand still: Trauma symptoms, coping strategies, and substance use behaviors in unaccompanied migrant youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 143-152.
    6. Flora Cohen, 2023. "Cultural idioms of distress among displaced populations: A scoping review," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 69(1), pages 5-13, February.
    7. Lynne Briggs & A. D. (Sandy) Macleod, 2006. "Demoralisation - A Useful Conceptualisation of Non-Specific Psychological Distress Among Refugees Attending Mental Health Services," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 52(6), pages 512-524, November.
    8. Crea, Thomas M. & Lopez, Anayeli & Taylor, Theresa & Underwood, Dawnya, 2017. "Unaccompanied migrant children in the United States: Predictors of placement stability in long term foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 93-99.
    9. Herrero-Arias, Raquel & Tonheim, Milfrid, 2025. "The significance of religion when matching children with migrant background and foster carers − child welfare workers’ perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    10. Zenker, Olaf, 2010. "Between the lines: Republicanism, dissenters and the politics of meta-trauma in the Northern Irish conflict," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 236-243, July.
    11. Doering-White, John & Darrow, Jessica & Grace, Breanne & Roth, Benjamin & Herring, Aimee & Liew, Stefan, 2025. "Care under pressure: Policy contradictions of speedy release, safety, and placement suitability in ORR-contracted programs for unaccompanied migrant children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    12. Rasmussen, Andrew & Keatley, Eva & Joscelyne, Amy, 2014. "Posttraumatic stress in emergency settings outside North America and Europe: A review of the emic literature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 44-54.
    13. Min Ju Kim & Bridget K. Gorman, 2022. "Acculturation and Self-rated Health Among Asian Immigrants: The Role of Gender and Age," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(1), pages 89-114, February.
    14. Jed Montayre & Megan F. Liu & Tongyao Wang & Ivy Yan Zhao & Eliazar Dimalapang & Hui-Chen (Rita) Chang & Mu-Hsing Ho, 2022. "Diagnostic Evaluation of Depression Screening Tools in Asian New Zealanders," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 31(8), pages 1472-1480, November.
    15. Saman Essa & Julika Kaplan & Sally Huang & Natalie Lazarescou & Sophia Banu & Ye Beverly Du & Srijana Shrestha, 2024. "Pre-migration and Post-migration Protective Factors in Refugee Resettlement—a Qualitative Study," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 465-481, March.
    16. Giordano, F. & Ragnoli, F. & Brajda Bruno, F. & Boerchi, D., 2019. "Testing Assisted Resilience Approach Therapy (ARAT) with children victims of violence," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 286-293.
    17. Hasson, Robert G. & Crea, Thomas M. & Easton, Scott D. & Evans, Kerri & Underwood, Dawnya, 2021. "Clocking in: Employment outcomes for unaccompanied refugee minors leaving foster care in the United States," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    18. Cartwright, Kate & Chacon, Lauren, 2021. "The impact of immigration-related separation and reunification on children’s education: Evidence from the American Community Survey 2010–2018," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    19. Rania, Nadia & Migliorini, Laura & Fagnini, Lucia, 2018. "Unaccompanied migrant minors: A comparison of new Italian interventions models," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 98-104.
    20. Roschelle, Anne R. & Greaney, Elizabeth & Allan, Timothy & Porras, Luz, 2018. "Treacherous crossings, precarious arrivals: Responses to the influx of unaccompanied minors in the Hudson Valley," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 65-76.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:160:y:2024:i:c:s0190740924001130. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.