Then They Started Shooting

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At nine years old, your best friend's father is arrested, classmates vanish, and a house burns down nearby. You suspect your neighbors want to harm your family. At eight, you're confined at home by your father's associates. At ten, you must scale a mountain at night to evade soldiers. What becomes of children raised in war? How do they cope with daily threats, hunger, and loss, and how does this shape their futures? In this exploration, child psychiatrist Lynne Jones shares the poignant stories of Serbian and Muslim children who grew up during the Bosnian wars of the 1990s. They faced immense hardship, family disruption, and uncertainty, yet, contrary to psychiatric expectations, few exhibited lasting trauma. Their thoughts were often on personal futures rather than war memories. However, Jones warns that the war's impact runs deep. Though officially citizens of the same nation, these communities lead separate, distrustful lives. Muslims yearn for reconciliation but struggle to believe in it while many remain displaced and war criminals are unpunished. Serbs harbor resentment towards the outside world and fear the return of their Muslim neighbors. Distrustful of politics, all are skeptical of their leaders. While the war may have ended, corruption and injustice continue to hinder healing.