Introduction

Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, many women and children have been forced to flee their homeland due to fear for their lives and safety. According to s ome experts, this has been the biggest migration crisis in the world since World War II. War refugees have been, and still are, mainly women with children due to the ban on leaving Ukraine introduced (with few exceptions) for men aged between 18 and 60. As a country bordering Ukraine, Poland has accepted most refugees compared to other European countries (Report on refugees from Ukraine in major Polish cities, 2022). According to the Special Report ‘Refugees from Ukraine in Poland’ published after analysing the results of a sociological survey carried out from 23rd March to 3rd April 2022 by the EWL Migration Platform and the Centre for Eastern European Studies at the University of Warsaw, Poland that has accepted the biggest number of refugees from Ukraine as compared to other countries in Europe. This Report also lists factors affecting this situation, including social and economic ties, the common border between Poland and Ukraine, and the cultural and linguistic proximity of the two nations. It should be noted that citizens from Ukraine, even before the outbreak of the war, came to Poland in large numbers, particularly to the cities in search of work and better living conditions (Special Report, 2022). As a result, Poland has become not only the first country but also often the destination country for people from Ukraine fleeing the war. According to the Central Statistical Office, Ukrainian citizens residing in Poland constitute the largest nationality group among foreigners (CSO Report, 2022). The war in the territory of Ukraine has very severely affected and continues to affect children who, forced to flee, came to Poland as war victims. They have been deprived of a happy childhood, of carefree play with peers and family. Challenges faced by Ukrainian children include problems with adaptation and education, but attention is drawn to loneliness, the lack of close relationships and a reduced sense of security during their stay in foreign environments (Pacek, 2022). According to applicable Polish educational law, children and young people aged between 7 and 18 are covered by the duty of compulsory education and, on this basis, Ukrainian children were placed in Polish schools (Journal of Laws 1991 No. 95 item 425). Their reception took place throughout the school year. Some refugees have painful experiences and traumas behind them, sometimes the trauma of losing their loved ones, which may cause many difficulties in the process of integrating refugee children into the school environment. It may also be difficult for them to find their place in the peer group (Popyk, 2023; Di Maggio et al., 2022). School principals, teachers, educators and other professionals certainly have a key role in the process of integrating refugee children into their new environment at the school level. Therefore, it should be assumed that the process of integration of refugee children will depend directly on the pedagogical staff of the given school, especially on their attitude, competence and pedagogical skills.

The briefly outlined situation is not without effect on the relationship between children of Ukrainian descent and Polish nationality studying together in the same school group or class. In Poland, topics addressing the situation of migrant children are recognised in academic discourse. The special value of the relationships of migrant children with their peers in adapting to a new environment is emphasised. In the words of some specialists, ‘(...) these children have been “uprooted” from their familiar environment and have found themselves in an alien and unfamiliar one’ (Suárez-Orozco, Suárez-Orozco 2001). In a new unfamiliar environment, migrant children have to establish new relationships and even to build them from scratch through communication, dialogue and negotiation of their skills and values (Popyk 2021; Strzemecka 2015). It is not an easy task to accomplish and, therefore, the school environment, which largely determines the process of adaptation and socialisation of migrant children, can help to do so by creating conditions for them to develop a sense of security and acceptance (Gulińska, 2021). Researchers working on the socialisation of migrant children highlight the importance of peer relationships in the process of creating conditions in the formation of a s ense of belonging and inclusion (Perez-Felkner, 2013).

In Polish academic studies, publications on the integration of refugees can be found (GrzymałaKazłowska 2008; Deslandes et al, 2012; Gulińska 2021; Saturno, 2023). Only few publications have referred to the situation when the refugee is a child (Kopczak-Wirga, Kasperska-Kurzawa, 2022; Popyk 2021; Popyk 2023; Slany, Strzemecka, 2016; Zalewska, 2017; Baranowska, 2020). Hence, there is also a lack of academic studies on peer relationships of refugee children with children of Polish descent. And it is in the group and the school classroom that the child spends most time, with peers playing a significant role in adaptation and education, as well as in building a sense of security and belonging (Nazaruk, 2014; Popyk,2021; Slany, Strzemecka, 2016). Furthermore, it must be noted that research shows the positive impact of classroom relationships on the child’s school attendance, motivation to learn and even overall satisfaction (Deslandes, et al. 2012; Popyk, 2023).

Reflecting on the meaning of peer interactions of refugee children who have had to leave their country is certainly a difficult and new topic in the current situation of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The mentioned problem may result from a number of reasons, not always on the part of the school. It is worth mentioning, for example, the expectations of refugee parents to return to their own country, or fears for their child’s safety.

In view of the aforementioned importance of the interaction of refugee children in the peer group, it became necessary to conduct pedagogical research in primary schools attended by children of Ukrainian descent together with children of Polish descent. The aim of the designed research was to learn about relationships of refugee children with other children in the peer group. The concept of relationships is usually defined in the literature as ‘repeated contacts between people enabling the formation of certain mutual attitudes’ (Muszyńska, 2020, pp.113-129). The authors of research made an attempt to identify relationships of refugee children that will refer to any contact the child has with their peers. As numerous studies indicate, another child is not only an object of cognition already for a little child, but also quickly becomes a person with whom he or she establishes contact (Brzezińska, 2000; Tudge, Rogoff, 1995; Deptuła, Misiuk, 2016).

Methodological assumptions of the study

The finishing point of the research was to find an answer to the main problem formulated in the form of a question: What level of skills and behaviours characterising peer relationships of refugee children with other children was diagnosed in the study group? In order to raise awareness of the issues covered by the study, a number of specific questions were asked: Which skills and behaviours characterising relationships of refugee children were rated highest? Are there any correlations between different values obtained with regard to the assessment of children’s skills and behaviours on the one hand and sex, age and place of residence on the other hand? Are respondents likely to have difficulties in learning the skills and behaviours that characterise their peer relationships?

The quantitative pedagogical research was carried out over a period of three months: from October till December 2022 among 101 children of Ukrainian descent at the age of 6 (46 people) and 7 years (55 people) attending several primary schools in the Lublin Province. Purposive sampling was used in this study because it allows us to look critically at the indicators occurring in the population we want to study and in which the phenomena or processes of interest are most likely to occur (Silverman, 2008). The implementation of the study was preceded by obtaining consent from the child’s parent or guardian in the form of a written declaration. Informed consent was obtained from all parents/guardians whose children took part in the study. Only willing individuals took part in the study voluntarily. The anonymity of all respondents was guaranteed. The research was carried out using ethical standards and in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the university’s bioethics committee. There were 56 girls and 45 boys among the respondents. The research was conducted using the author’s research tool called the Social Skills Worksheet. The development of the author’s tool for the aforementioned research issue was due to the lack of other standardised measurement tools. It must be added that the construction of the aforementioned tool was preceded by many years of the author’s research concerning the diagnosis of social skills of children aged 6-7. The design of the aforementioned tool contains subscales to which specific skills and behaviours of children are assigned. In view of the issue of peer relationships of refugee children in the school group presented in the title of this article, the results of the research from subscale A entitled Child’s Relationships in a Group, which consists of 23 statements describing behaviours and skills in the peer group, will be presented. The statements were evaluated by means of a four-point Likert scale, which was used to determine the relationship level in the group of children studied (Rubacha, 2008). Answers were given the following scores: definitely yes – 3 points, rather yes – 2 points, rather not – 1 point and definitely not – 0 points. For the purpose of obtaining reliable survey results, printed sheets were given to tutors and teachers of children from zero classes with a request to fill them in. On the basis of sheets completed by the teachers, a quantitative statistical analysis of the data contained in them was carried out.

The statistical analysis of the collected material was performed using StatSoft Polska’s STATISTICA software version 13.0. Nominal data were described by creating distribution series in which variants of characteristics were specified by their number and incidence in the whole population under study. In the case of ordinal data, ranks were assigned and presented as arithmetic averages. The results are presented in the tables. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for the statistical analysis of the obtained data. Statistical inference was carried out with a standardised significance level of α=0.05.

Peer relationships of refugee children based on the findings of the study

Documentation with the data of the children who took part in the study is kept by the author carrying out the aforementioned research project and by the principals of the primary schools from which children took part in the study. As previously mentioned, the study involved 101 children of Ukrainian descent attending primary schools in the Lublin Province. A comprehensive summary of the compiled results of research from subscale A, concerning the assessment of skills and behaviours that characterise relationships of refugee children with other children in the group, is presented in Table 1.

The data presented in Table 1 allow us to conclude that the average level of skills characterising the relationships of the children studied, assessed on a scale of 0-3, was 2.20 +/- 0.45. The highest rated skill was that the child has group mates with whom he or she likes to play (2.50+/-0.57) and follows group rules (2.46+/-0.68). The lowest rating was given to the ability to say that the child is nervous or hyperactive in movement (1.04+/-1.16) and that the child has concentration problems (1.22+/-1.07). The highest variation in children’s behaviour was observed in motor hyperactivity or nervousness (value: 111.70) and the lowest was in the behaviour stating that he has group mates with whom he likes to play (value: 22.37).

Next, the correlations between the different values that were obtained with regard to the assessment of children’s skills and behaviours characterising the child’s group relationships were counted with respect to sex, age and place of residence. The obtained statistical data showed differences in many of the cases analysed, some of which proved to be significant. In consideration of the variable of children’s sex, differences were important in the case of skills such as: the child can respond adequately to punishment (A.11), is nervous or hyperactive in movement (A.13). Taking into account another variable, i.e. the age of the respondents (6 and 7 years old), differences were found in situations where the child follows group rules (A.1), communicates with other children during play and games (A.4), has concentration problems (A.14), accepts the consequences of his/her behaviour (A.17), is able to assess his/her behaviour in the context of the tasks undertaken and the prevailing group norms (A.19), respects his/her rights and fulfils his/her responsibilities in the group (A.20) and copes with emotionally difficult situations (A.23). With regard to the last variable analysed – the place of residence, differences were found only in two cases: the child is nervous or hyperactive in movement (A.13) and has concentration problems (A.14). Table 2 below shows statistical data with the variables from the above list, such as the child’s age, sex and place of residence.

The data in Table 2 indicate that some children have difficulties in learning the skills and behaviours that characterise their relationships. Particular attention should be paid to difficulties in learning behaviours and skills such as: the child is nervous or hyperactive in movement, has concentration problems and can be a leader at play. The further analysis of the data revealed children’s problems with accepting the consequences of their behaviour, coping with emotionally difficult situations, initiating play, taking on different tasks in the group, and taking into account his/her and others’ needs in playing together.

The presented analyses showed many problems of refugee children, which can certainly be traced back to their experiences of war and the need to flee their homeland. Therefore, these children, as well as their families, need special pedagogical and psychological support. Providing support to refugee children from Ukraine was undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges for all professionals working in the school environment, as the trauma of war often caused suffering that was invisible on the outside but affected the child’s overall functioning.

Discussion

In connection with the admission of Ukrainian pupils to Polish schools, some academic studies contain several reports describing their situation in Poland. One of the first such reports was prepared on the initiative of the Transatlantic Future Leaders Forum, in which it was pointed out that the integration of Ukrainian students with Polish students was clearly hindered by the tendency to form relatively closed Ukrainian groups if there is a larger group of refugee students in the class (Di Maggio et al., 2022). In this sense, the strategy of assigning a large group of Ukrainians to a single class is not beneficial in practice. Other difficulties mentioned are communication barriers, cultural differences (including conflict of values), lack of peer acceptance and active integration. It is also worrying to learn that Ukrainian students are unlikely to establish peer relationships in private and domestic spaces with pupils of Polish descent (Jurek et al., 2022). The information presented certainly does not make it easy for Ukrainian students to build peer relationships with other pupils, which poses a great challenge for teachers and educators in this area.

The results of research on the assessment of the level of skills and behaviours that characterise the peer relationships of refugee children correspond with the context of the problems identified. The pupils surveyed were rated highly for behaviours stating that the child has group mates with whom he/she likes to play and follows group rules. The examples mentioned can certainly inspire some optimism in building positive peer relationships. However, this optimism can be disrupted by some low-rated behaviours, e.g. problems with concentration, motor hyperactivity, coping with difficult situations, taking on different tasks in a group and playing together. Here, the need to look for the source of this condition in an individualised way is obvious, due to the fact that every child is different and experiences differently such things as war, the loss of loved ones or adaptation to a new environment. Also, such factors as the child’s sex were important in the assessment of certain behaviours, which should be taken into account when working with pupils. The examples mentioned may give rise to pedagogical reflection and the development of interventions aimed at strengthening certain skills and behaviours of Ukrainian pupils.

A study conducted in 2014 among refugee children arriving in Poland from Chechnya indicated the importance of the socialisation process in adapting to the new school environment, which is worth consideration when working with Ukrainian students in building peer relationships (Nazaruk, 2014).

In search of models in working with Ukrainian refugee students in building peer relationships both in schools in Poland and in other European countries, the lack of models developed and implemented in this area was noted. However, integrating them into society was recognised as the most important task. Therefore, the admission of newcomers to mainstream classrooms should be promoted (Woltran et al., 2023; Costello, Foster, 2022).

Conclusions

The main task of primary schools is to support the versatile development of the pupil and, therefore, to provide the right conditions for this process. The areas that require special attention includes building peer relationships, which are important for the child’s schooling and development in subsequent stages of education. The implementation of this task requires the school, mainly teachers, to undertake professionally planned activities aimed at organising circumstances that stimulate and support the development of peer relationships. When classes were joined by refugee pupils from Ukraine, activities in this area became particularly important, for example due to cultural differences, different experiences of war, habits, differences in family upbringing and education in a different school system.

With regard to the research results obtained and their analysis, it can be assumed that the overall score of the entire study group of refugee children was satisfactory due to the different types of difficulties they had to experience when fleeing the war. However, the detailed statistical analysis regarding the assessment of the behaviour and skills of studied children showed differences in their levels. It was noted that the children found it difficult to master certain skills, particularly with regard to concentration, motor hyperactivity, coping with emotionally difficult situations, undertaking different tasks in a group and playing together. Therefore, in order to prevent their further aggravation, it is necessary to undertake support measures planned in a professional manner not only by teachers and educators but also by specialists.

The research carried out and the results obtained encourages psychological and pedagogical reflection on the measures to be undertaken towards refugee children at the peer group level, in consideration of the process of their adaptation to the new environment and taking the burden of the war experience into account.

However, it is worth noting that the study was conducted on a group of 101 people, which does not allow us to generalise about their results. Despite this observation, however, the research carried out has shown the need for systematic diagnoses based on observation of how children build relationships in order to identify which specific skills the child learns without problems and which ones he/she struggles with. In the circumstances of the prolonged stay of refugees in Poland, the concern for the integration of Ukrainian children into their peer environment becomes particularly important, which, with the support they receive, will certainly inspire them to pursue their own potential development opportunities. However, it should be noted that the issue of building peer relationships is complex and remains a huge challenge.

However, it is worth noting another aspect of the aforementioned research, which determines the need to prepare schools for the changes taking place not only because of the ongoing war in Ukraine but also because of unpredictable crises that happen around the world. It is difficult to predict the course of events and to assess how long the current situation will last, but pupils with a refugee experience will be present in the Polish educational system.