Attachment styles and emotional wellbeing among youth: A case of the lord's resistance Army off springs in Gulu city, Northern Uganda.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Several rebel groups actively recruit children to serve among their ranks. While this constitutes one of the most egregious violations of children’s rights, it remains unclear what impact recruited children have on the fighting capacities of these armed groups. The current study examined attachment styles and emotional wellbeing among youth: A case of the Lord’s Resistance Army offsprings in Gulu city, Northern Uganda. The objectives of the study were; to examine the effects of avoidant attachment style on emotional wellbeing in Northern Uganda, to determine the influence of disorganized attachment pattern on emotional wellbeing among youth in Gulu City, Northern Uganda. and to establish the relationship between secure attachment style and emotional wellbeing among youth in Gulu City, Northern Uganda. The study was done in Gulu city with 92 youth who were born by LRA rebels, caretakers/parents, government officials and nongovernmental organizations in the area that were identified using simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. The study adopted a cross-sectional design. The study undertook a descriptive approach so that the variables to be investigated were quantified and described in detail, which was very helpful to describe their narratives, stories of the youth in their perspective. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS software version 20 and descriptive statistics was performed to analyse the statistical variables of the study. While qualitative data was coded using ATLAS.ti software version 8 and thematic analysis was later performed to understand the key issues for attention. The findings revealed that most of the youth who went through these experiences prefer keeping certain things to themselves and are so insecure with the people around them; avoid them and only open with their friends on only critical issues, that disorganized attached individuals have emotional problems as many displayed unstable inter-personal relationships skills and that this is something majority of the youth are struggling with to adapt to the current environment. The study concluded that attachment style is very paramount to understanding the emotional wellbeing and growth of children and the youth, the youth exhibits disorganised attachment style as a result of the situation the youth and their parents were in, the parents are distressed and that securely attached individuals are more positive and have constructive behaviors and are emotionally stable compared to individuals with insecure attachment style who shows more negative and destructive behaviors. The study recommends that the government through the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development promotes affirmative action for youth (children inclusion) in its programs like the youth livelihood program, skilling Uganda, there is still a need to continue with post-war stress management and social support by the government and the operating development partners in the area and that government through the ministry of lands and Housing need to intervene and arbitrate the land conflicts in Gulu after the war.