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This preliminary study of Kuwaiti children confirms the significant impact of exposure to war atrocities on children. This pilot sampling provided evidence that: (1) many children who remained in Kuwait during the occupation had multiple war-related exposures; (2) more than 70 per cent of the children reported moderate to severe post-traumatic stress reactions; and (3) witnessing death or injury and the viewing of explicit graphic images of mutilation on television had measurable influence on severity of reaction. The highest mean Child Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (CPTSD-RI) score was found for those children who reported hurting someone else. Older children had both greater exposure to atrocities and higher CPTSD-RI scores. Findings suggest the need for public policy to minimize children's exposure to graphic depictions of war-related injury, death and mutilation.

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