Stress Reactions and Coping Resources Mobilized by Children under Shelling and Evacuation

2004Shacham and Lahad

Evacuation of civilian population is not an unusual phenomenon. However the opportunity to study in vivo what are the reactions of the evacuees and how did they coped immediately and in a follow up study is rather scarce. The research was conducted when hostilities broke out in the north of Israel lasting seventeen days and leading to mass evacuation. Hundreds of missiles fell on the settlements; about 150 houses were hit and fifty four residents were injured.  As a result of military forecast that retaliation will end up with massive bombardment of the area, a short term evacuation of residents to safer places was decided upon. This research studied the effect of exposure to shelling prior to the evacuation and the effect of evacuation on children in real time, during their stay in an evacuation center.

Key wordschildren / stress

CategoryManuals and guidelines