Political Violence, Family Relations, and Palestinian Youth Functioning

Abstract

This study investigated the associations among involvement in political violence, family relations, and several measures of adolescent social and psychological functioning in a sample of 7,000 Palestinian families from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Structural equation analysis of youth self-reported survey data revealed that experience in the intifada (as children) predicted increases in antisocial behavior (males and females) and depression (females) 1 to 2 years after the end of the intifada (when adolescents), but was not related to family values, educational values, academic performance, or aggression. Intifada experience was related to increases in parental use of psychological control and conflict with daughters, but was unrelated to parental support, parental monitoring, or conflict with sons. The discussion centers on the role of cultural forces and the psychological meaning of nationalistic conflict in the resilience of children and families to political violence.