Refugee Children’s Fears and Coping Mechanisms: A Preliminary Investigation

It is important for counselors to understand refugee children’s fears and coping mechanisms as these children adjust to their new environment. This qualitative study explored the fears and coping strategies of 18 refugee children from the countries of Haiti, Sudan, Cuba, Venezuela, and Vietnam whose families sought asylum in the United States. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the children and their parents. Frequency distributions, content analysis, conclusions, and implications of the findings are included.