Title: The Psychological Impact of Extreme Terror Events on Children: A Study of Aggression and Social Challenges Among Evacuees and Non-Evacuees

• In Event: Victim-centered responses to political and mass violence

Abstract

This study examines the perceived behavioral challenges among children affected by the October 7th terror attack in Israel and the subsequent military escalation, with a focus on evacuees and non-evacuees. Specifically, it explores parental factors linked to these behaviors. A total of 221 parents of evacuated children and 262 parents of non-evacuated children participated in the study, recruited via an online professional survey company.
We hypothesized that extreme terrorist events would lead to increased child aggression and social difficulties, with evacuees experiencing more pronounced effects due to heightened instability and stress. Additionally, we expected that greater parental exposure, higher post-traumatic stress (PTS), reduced functioning, lower resilience, and diminished trust in authorities would be associated with elevated child aggression and social difficulties.
Findings revealed that parents of evacuated children reported significantly higher levels of perceived aggression and social problems. Evacuated parents also exhibited lower functioning, increased PTS, and reduced trust in authorities. However, regression analyses indicated that heightened parental exposure and PTS, along with lower functioning, were linked to greater child aggression and social difficulties, regardless of evacuation status.
This study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to support evacuated families, rebuild trust in authorities, and strengthen community resilience to mitigate long-term psychological consequences.

Authors

• Mally Shechory Bitton, Ariel University

• Avital Laufer, Netanya Academic College, Israel

• Liza Zvi, Ariel University