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Abstract

Following five large scale studies among children, adolescents and mothers to young children on the consequences of exposure to political violence, we can begin asking questions about resilience: who does not develop PTSD or substance use despite mass exposure to political violence; what are external resources that promote resilience; what are the implications for measurement scales? Schiff â??s presentation will begin answering these and other questions based on her research studies. Methods: Results from five large-scale studies at different times will be presented. During the acts of political violence- A representative sample of 997 (10 and 11 graders) from all Jewish schools in Haifa; 600 students from six Jewish high schools. A year after the second Lebanon war- A representative sample of 4733 students from Israeli Arab and Jewish high schools; 6700 elementary, junior high and high school Israeli Arab and Jewish students residing in north Israel; a representative sample of 904 Israeli Arab and Jewish mothers to young children. Results will point to the high exposure to political violence (self-report). Israeli Arab children, adolescents, and mothers report higher levels of exposure and greater negative consequences (PTSD, violence and substance use) than their Jewish counterparts. Thus, ethnicity, age, gender, social support, protective measures during war, acknowledging need for help, religiosity, traumatic events in childhood, and life satisfaction all play important roles in the individualâ??s level of resilience. Implications for the need for better conceptual framework and further research at the local and international level will be explored.

Biography