Differences in executive function, post-traumatic symptoms, adaptive and externalizing behaviors in children victims and non-victims of the Colombian internal armed conflict

Early chronic exposure to stress from internal armed conflict related experiences may influence the development of cognitive functions and externalizing behavior problems in child victims. This cross-sectional comparative study aimed to evaluate differences in inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, post-traumatic symptomatology, anger control problems, challenging behaviors, personal resources index and emotional intelligence in a sample consisting of 54 victims (56.3%) and 42 non-victims (43.7%) aged 8 to 11 years (Mdn = 9, IQR = 3) from low socioeconomic backgrounds in the Colombian region of Quindío. The instruments used were the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Stroop Test, and the Child and Adolescent Evaluation System. Shared difficulties were found in inhibitory control, with a significant p-value and small-to-moderate effect size; post-traumatic symptoms were present in both groups, with greater severity in the victim group; challenging behaviors were identified in the victim group; and problems with anger control, personal resources, and emotional intelligence showed small-to-moderate effect sizes. These results highlight the impact of armed conflict on executive functioning and externalizing behaviors in child victims and indicate possible influence of daily stressors associated with social vulnerability, combined with acute stress conditions derived from traumatic experiences.