Social Work and the Reintegration of Former Child Soldiers in Post-Conflict Communities of Borno State

The reintegration of former child soldiers into civilian communities requires specialised social work approaches that address complex trauma, identity disruption, and community-level trust deficits created by conflict. This study investigates social work practice and reintegration outcomes for former child soldiers in post-conflict communities of Borno State, North East Nigeria. An analytical mixed-method design is employed, combining a structured survey of 150 former child soldiers and their families with qualitative case studies of eight community reintegration sites. Quantitative data are analysed using regression analysis, and qualitative data through narrative analysis. The study finds that former child soldiers with sustained access to trauma-focused social work case management, peer support groups, and community acceptance facilitation demonstrate significantly better social functioning at twelve-month follow-up compared to those receiving standard humanitarian assistance only. Perpetrator stigma and community fear are identified as the most persistent barriers to reintegration. Drawing on transitional justice social work and ecological resilience frameworks, the study argues that reintegration programmes must simultaneously address individual trauma and community-level reconciliation. Recommendations include training social workers in transitional justice approaches, developing community dialogue programmes that facilitate survivor-community reconciliation, and establishing long-term monitoring mechanisms for reintegration outcomes. Keywords: child soldiers, reintegration, social work, post-conflict, Borno State