ABSTRACT
In the past three years, Israeli society has been subjected to increasing numbers of terrorist attacks, suicide bombers, drive-by shootings, and mortar attacks. In addition to physical wounds and casualties, the resulting trauma and stress to large segments of the population is difficult to estimate. Terrorism seeks to wreak havoc in our day-to-day lives. As Pfefferbaum (2001) notes:
The intent of terrorism, evident in the word itself, is not the death and injury of direct victims, the sorrow and grief of their loved ones, the wreckage of property, or even the disruption of government, business, and travel. It is rather the emotional consequences that result from the terrorism that accompanies the altered environment in which we will now lead our lives. (p. 940)
In conceptualizing the vulnerability of populations that have been affected by attacks on civilians, it is convenient to picture four concentric circles, sometimes referred to as “circles of vulnerability” (Ayalon & Lahad, 2001). At the epicenter are the people who have been directly injured or killed. The second circle contains those closest to the injured or deceased: family members, close friends, co-workers, and people who fall in the “near miss” category. The third circle consists of community members, neighbors, and classmates. In the outer circles are people who may have had occasional contact with the victims, may have been at the scene ten minutes before or stepped off the bus minutes before it blew up (commonly referred to as “near-miss”), as well as people who have been exposed to media coverage of the event. Pfefferbaum, Pfefferbaum, North, and Neas (2002) have written extensively about the effects of media exposure and its apparent relationship to post traumatic symptomatology. The entire population of Israel is exposed to graphic and detailed accounts broadcast live from the scene of the attack and must be considered when planning for the mental health needs of the country.
