Translating Trauma into Testimony

Collaborative Storytelling with Former ISIS Child Soldiers in Northern Iraq

Abstract

Research involving highly vulnerable groups, such as those with deeply traumatic experiences, presents researchers with significant ethical and methodological hurdles. This article outlines a project conducted in northern Iraq with former ISIS child soldiers. We reflect on our methodological and ethical decisions within the framework of the do no harm imperative — a cornerstone of research ethics that has faced criticism for its perceived inadequacy. Our focus lies in detailing the development, theoretical underpinnings, methodological justification, and practical application of a participatory approach through collaborative storytelling with children and adolescents. In addition to adhering to the do no harm principle, which seeks to prevent adverse consequences such as re-traumatisation, we advocate for a positive ethic of recognition. This approach facilitates the methodological translation of traumatic experiences and their socio-political transformation into testimonies.