ABSTRACT
War is an extremely stressful event, one that gives rise to any number of traumatic reactions in someone who encounters it. The types of reactions, their intensity, their duration and the question of sequelae, are dependent on numerous factors. The reactions of war-traumatized children depend first and foremost on their age, their susceptibility to illnesses, their family situations, the support and attitudes of the people around them. Most children’s reactions fit into the framework of a post-traumatic stress disorder: thoughts and feelings are repressed in different fashions, but even a minor stimulus can summon massive reactions in the child, can alter the child’s emotional world, and cause communication problems. Children respond to different traumata with different psychopathologic reactions. Therapeutic treatment must be directed toward the child’s specific symptoms. This is particularly true for states of anxiety, depression, psychosomatic reactions, behavioral disorders and diverse psychotic reactions.
