Child refugee's social skills and resilience: Moderating effects of time in refugee camp, parental education, and preschool attendance

Abstract

In this cross-sectional study, we examine the relationship between social skills and resilience and the moderating effects of time spent in a refugee camp, parental education, and schooling on Syrian children who have been forcibly displaced to Turkey. Five hundred and twenty-six preschool-aged children (56.3% female, M-age = 5.79) were recruited to participate in this research. The Turkish version of the Child and Youth Resilience Measure-Revised (CYRM-R) and the Early Childhood Social Skills Measure (ECSSM) were used to assess refugee children's social skills and resilience, respectively. Results show that the children's social skills were positively related to resilience with length of time spent in a refugee camp, the parental education level, and preschool attendance moderating this association. These results highlight the role of social skills as a possible means of enhancing refugee children's resilience.