"One Cannot Take Away the Stain": Rejection and Stigma Among Former Child Soldiers in Colombia

This article explores the role and impact of rejection and stigma on a group of 22 demobilized youth who had been part of an armed group in Colombia. Drawing upon qualitative interviews, the article begins with an exploration of participants’ paths to civilian life and paints a picture of the constant transitions and adaptations that were inherent to the reintegration process. These adaptations included displacement and the transition from rural to urban life, family reunification, and transitioning from a context of organized armed violence. The article then traces how these transitions and adaptations were lived and experienced in a context of perceived rejection and stigma, as well as the coping strategies employed by former child soldiers in response. The article concludes with a discussion of the importance of addressing rejection and stigma at the local and national level through community sensitization, awareness, and reconciliation processes.