Unaccompanied children are a vulnerable group of immigrants who arrive to the United States (US) without a parent or caregiver. A growing body of research demonstrates that unaccompanied children experience trauma before, during, and after their arrival to the US. A gap in research in the US is a deeper understanding of how unaccompanied children describe the challenges they experience in resettlement, and what they perceive as most helpful as they adjust to new communities and social settings. This qualitative study is guided by the category fallacy theoretical framework and includes analysis of in-depth interviews with unaccompanied children who resettled in the US ( = 16). Findings reveal that unaccompanied children experience family separation and family reunification as distinct challenges. In addition, unaccompanied children perceive schools and social support as helpful with adjusting to new communities. The findings can inform how service providers design interventions and encourage policy makers to streamline school enrollment procedures.

中文翻译：

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“一点一点，我走”：美国无人陪伴儿童的多重痛苦和支持

无人陪伴儿童是在没有父母或看护者的情况下抵达美国 (US) 的移民中的弱势群体。越来越多的研究表明，无人陪伴的儿童在抵达美国之前、期间和之后都会经历创伤。美国的研究差距在于更深入地了解无人陪伴的儿童如何描述他们在重新安置中遇到的挑战，以及他们认为在适应新社区和社会环境时最有帮助的内容。这项定性研究以类别谬误理论框架为指导，包括对在美国重新定居的无人陪伴儿童 (= 16) 进行的深入访谈的分析。调查结果显示，无人陪伴的儿童面临着家庭分离和家庭团聚的独特挑战。此外，无人陪伴的儿童认为学校和社会支持有助于适应新社区。研究结果可以告知服务提供商如何设计干预措施，并鼓励政策制定者简化学校注册程序。