ABSTRACT
This paper will focus on some of the most traumatic factors faced by the average Palestinian child during times of war. Unlike most research, which limits the Palestinian child's experience in war to military-related traumatic events, in this paper I will attempt to illustrate the Palestinian child's internal and external experiences, using empirical studies, my own clinical experience and an analytic understanding of historical and present events, in addition to a case study. This includes the different sources of stress and trauma that face Palestinian children and which ultimately create a multi-traumatic environment. I will also compare the situation of Palestinian children during the first and the second Intifadas. The analyses will include concepts such as trauma, witnessing, trans-generation, familial and social stress factors, and sense of loss of control. This paper could help clinicians as well as researchers to develop a more comprehensive conceptual model of understanding the emotional lives of Palestinian children.
