Iraq conflict 'will create a violent generation'

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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article2659704.ece

An Iraqi doctor has addressed a direct appeal to the UN secretary general over the plight of children in his home country, warning that the violence there was causing widespread emotional and behavioural damage - and could lead to spiralling violence in the future.

Dr Abdul Kareem Al Obaidi, chair of the Iraqi Association for Child Mental Health, said that the situation was "desperate", with children suffering "unbearable traumas and heart-wrenching experiences".

He warned Ban Ki-moon that there could be long-term problems for Iraq and the rest of the world as the children became adults. Behaviour disorders, which never used to be a problem in Iraq, were now prominent, including delinquency, drug and substance abuse, and a 50 per cent rate of truancy from school.

Emotional disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders including post-traumatic stress disorder and panic disorders were increasing dramatically among children, who made up 55 per cent of the Iraqi population of 29 million, he said.

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1. No Child Left Behind

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2. Absense of fear of death

may cause the greatest problem. I recall reading years ago that most of the children in Vietnam had grown up with no apparent fear of death due to war surrounding them since birth. In a normal society that fear would nornally be within their system by aged 9 or 10 and so act as a mental block to some violent actions. Same cause was also give nas a contributary factor to the low age, late teens, of some of the IRA bombers.