Resiliency factors predicting psychological adjustment after political violence among Palestinian children

The effects of cognitive capacity, perceived parenting, traumatic events, and activity, which were first measured in the midst of the political violence of the Intifada in 1993, were examined on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), emotional disorders, school performance, and neuroticism three years later in more peaceful conditions among 86 Palestinian children of 14.04 +/- 0.79 years of age. The results showed, first, that PTSD was high among the children who had been exposed to a high level of traumatic events and had responded passively (not actively) to Intifada violence. Discrepant perceived parenting was also decisive for adjustment: Children who perceived their mothers as highly loving and caring but their fathers as not so showed a high level of PTSD. High intellectual but low creative performance was also characteristic of the children suffering from emotional disorders. Second, the hypothesis that cognitive capacity and activity serve a resiliency function if children feel loved and non-rejected at home was confirmed. Third, neuroticism decreased significantly over the three years, especially among the children who had been exposed to a high number of traumatic events.