Adolescents Exposed to 7 Years of Political Violence: Differential Relations Between Exposure and Its Impact for Jewish and Arab Israelis

Abstract

The first aim of this study was to describe exposure to political violence and its assigned impact for Israeli adolescents growing up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict environment, spanning 7 years of the second Palestinian Intifada (1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004). The second aim was to examine ethnic group differences in exposure and impact over this period. Participants were 3800 Jewish and Arab Israeli adolescents, sampled in a cross-sectional design during three exposure periods-antecedent, peak and receding Intifada-who completed a Political Life Events (PLE) questionnaire that yielded objective exposure and subjective impact measures. As expected, for the full sample, PLE exposure peaked at the Intifada peak, but increased exposure was not matched by increased impact. Ethnic group differences were found for both objective exposure and subjective impact and for their pattern across the three Intifada time periods. This ethnic group influence is discussed from a cross-cultural, politico-ideological and developmental perspective.

Traumatic Events and PTSD Among Palestinian Children and Adolescents: The Effect of Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors

“…Several studies have revealed that exposure to previous traumatic war experiences and events is a risk factor for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), grief, and depression (21,22). The exposure to traumatic events, specifically physical injuries, loss of loved ones, immediate risk of life (2,23), injury of a family member or friend (2,(24)(25)(26) and losing a family member (27) are the strongest risk factors for PTSD.…”

The mediating role of trait emotional intelligence, prosocial behaviour, parental support and parental psychological control on the relationship between war trauma, and PTSD and depression

“…Children who are exposed to war-traumatic events are likely to develop cognitive, emotional and behavioural dysfunction symptoms (Khamis, 2015;Myers-Walls, 2004;Shaw, 2003), as well as a sense of insecurity, which may lead to physical health problems (Ursano, 2002). One recurrent disorder related to exposure to war-traumatic events is PTSD (Slone & Shechner, 2011;Smith et al, 2001;Kolltveit et al, 2012, Wayment, 2004Hasanovic et al, 2006;De Jong et al, 2001). According to American Psychiatric Association (2013), PTSD refers to a psychiatric disorder includes intrusion symptoms, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity that can occur in people who have experienced or a traumatic.…”

Building Peace Through Knowledge

“…(p. 541) In considering the findings of their study, Slone and Shechner (2011) emphasized the Israeli Arab adolescents' 'torn position' regarding a dual loyalty to historical Palestinian affiliation and current Israeli citizenship. From a differential vantage point, they noted that Jewish adolescents were more exposed to eroding daily insecurity and tension, victimization in terrorist attacks, and losses from family members' involvement in military activity, whereas Arab adolescents were more exposed to involvement in violent demonstrations and destruction of property.…”

“…Slone and Shechner (2011), for instance, investigated the differential effects of political violence on Arab and Jewish Israeli youth. Israelis-Arab make up 20.3% of the total Israeli population (Central Bureau of Statistics, October, 2010, cited in Slone and Shechner 2011), and have been exposed to this violence as well.…”

“…The authors stressed that adolescents in particular have received short shrift in the literature on the impact of violent conflict (Barber 2008, cited in Slone andShechner 2011). Slone and Shechner, like Muldoon (2004), have pointed to the ambiguous picture painted of the impact of political violence on children, a picture tinged by resilience (Barber 2008), on the one hand, to severe symptomatology, on the other (Allwood et al 2002).…”