Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and GrowthPosttraumatic Stress Disorder and GrowthPosttraumatic Stress Disorder and GrowthPosttraumatic Stress Disorder and GrowthAmong Bedouin Adolescents ExperiencingAmong Bedouin Adolescents ExperiencingAmong Bedouin Adolescents ExperiencingAmong Bedouin Adolescents Experiencing

Home Demolition in the UnrecognizedHome Demolition in the UnrecognizedHome Demolition in the UnrecognizedHome Demolition in the UnrecognizedVillages in AlVillages in AlVillages in AlVillages in Al----NaqabNaqabNaqabNaqabVillages in AlVillages in AlVillages in AlVillages in Al----NaqabNaqabNaqabNaqab

Laieth Ahmad GayousiLaieth Ahmad GayousiLaieth Ahmad GayousiLaieth Ahmad Gayousi

The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare,The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare,The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare,The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare,The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IsraelThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IsraelThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IsraelThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Before the war of 1948 the Bedouin population of Al-Naqab counted,according to various estimates, 65,000 to 100,000 individuals.

During Israel’s War in 1948, 80-85% of Al-Naqab Bedouin population became refugees.

11,000 to 17,000 individuals remained in Israel after the war of 1948.11,000 to 17,000 individuals remained in Israel after the war of 1948.

Most of the remaining Bedouin were uprooted from their living area inAl-Naqab North-West and relocated to its North-East region, referred to as "the border area", also mentioned as "Siyagh" or "Sayej". These residentsjoined the tribes that used to live in this region before the establishment ofIsrael and formed the basis of the non-recognized villages.

These villages do not appear on Israeli maps or governmental planning documents,they have no road signs indicating their existence, and are denied basic services andinfrastructure, including paved roads, water, electricity, and schools.

(Falah, 1989; Meir, 1997; Yiftahel 2008)

"I Love my homeland, love my land, love my home...

I was very glad to be close to my brothers and parents in our warm home…

One day, suddenly large forces of the army arrived, they were carrying One day, suddenly large forces of the army arrived, they were carrying

sticks and weapons, and dressed up in special uniforms…they distributed

demolition orders…the home was demolished over our clothing and over

everything in the home, the situation was very sad …they demolished the

whole house, destroyed every thing like: trees, houses and all the things

that supports human life…water was cut off… The demolition process

has been fast and frightening…the act of demolition also included

resentment, racism and the use of provocative speech…"

“one day, some people destroyed the house of our

neighbor... my little brother witnessed the demolition,

Every time he remembers the demolition, he starts

sobbing… Every time he sees a car or truck, he runs to my

mother, screaming and saying :"Mom I'm scared.” I never

saw my little brother crying like that…

DO you think that what the child had seen disappears DO you think that what the child had seen disappears DO you think that what the child had seen disappears DO you think that what the child had seen disappears

from his memory?.from his memory?.from his memory?.from his memory?.””””

“… When you lose your personal objects,

without knowing where it disappeared,

and that someone destroyed your things and your house,

you are certainly not feeling good,

feeling anger and loss, feel like you're devastated...

All your shelter that covers you

and protects you from the cold

and the heat is destroyed…and the heat is destroyed…

And when you are absent

from school for a few days

in order to help your family

after the loss of the home,

certainly it affects negatively the course of your life, affects negatively the course of your life, affects negatively the course of your life, affects negatively the course of your life,

your studies and your thoughtsyour studies and your thoughtsyour studies and your thoughtsyour studies and your thoughts””””....

As result of the ongoing demolition the presentation displays the impact of exposure to home demolition in the unrecognized villages in Al-Naqab, and its unrecognized villages in Al-Naqab, and its pathogenic and salutogenic implications. It includes experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder andposttraumatic growth among Bedouin adolescents who where exposed to home demolition.

Participants: The research comprised 250 Bedouin adolescents, recruitedthrough snowball sampling, from 32 unrecognized villages in Al-Naqab.

.open questionsmethod that integrates quantitativeThe research adopted a

The quantitative method contributed to:1. Examining differences at the level of the posttraumatic stress disorder1. Examining differences at the level of the posttraumatic stress disorderand its three types of symptoms (re-experiencing; avoidance and numbing;hyper arousal), based on the type of exposure, at the level of exposure,and at the level of the threat of the demolition order imposed on theadolescent home.2. Examining the contribution of the coping strategies and sourcesof social support to predict the growth process.

As for the analyses of the open questions, it enabled Bedouin adolescentsto express their concerns in their own words, about the meaning of home, coping strategies, types and sources of social support.

� “The home is the lifelifelifelife, sheltersheltersheltershelter and everythingeverythingeverythingeverything we have”.

� “ My home is the heartheartheartheart, the soulsoulsoulsoul…., without the home there is

no meaning of lifelifelifelife”.

� “My home protectsprotectsprotectsprotects my family from uprooting and conflicts, and after uprooting of the family members the home gathersgathersgathersgathersfamily members in times of happiness and sadness”.and after uprooting of the family members the home gathersgathersgathersgathersfamily members in times of happiness and sadness”.

� “Home is a symbol of safetysafetysafetysafety, securitysecuritysecuritysecurity, belongingbelongingbelongingbelonging and stabilitystabilitystabilitystability”.

� “A symbol of dignitydignitydignitydignity, honestyhonestyhonestyhonesty, loyaltyloyaltyloyaltyloyalty, generositygenerositygenerositygenerosity, pridepridepridepride and honorhonorhonorhonor, If I don't have home I lose my statusstatusstatusstatus in the Bedouin society.

� My home is my privacyprivacyprivacyprivacy”.

� “The home is the first homelandhomelandhomelandhomeland”.

� The home is like a mothermothermothermother…”

Containment

� Approximately 239 adolescents (96%) meet the three criteria of posttraumatic stress disorder.

� 143 adolescents (57%) suffer high to very highlevels of PTSD.levels of PTSD.

1. Cumulative and Chronic exposure to home demolition

2. Socio-culture factors3. Religious factors

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Slide 9

١.your indea is not clear...can you please explain it to yiur audience. Call if you need my helpNadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian; 07-01-2012

Cumulative and Chronic exposure to home demolition1.1 witnessing direct or indirect home demolition.1.2 home threatened by demolition order.

About the conservation of resources theory About the conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1998):

the impact of trauma is mainly a consequence of the threat of loss, or actual loss, of resources experienced by people exposed to political violence.

Resources include both material resources, such as transportation and housing, and psychosocial resources, such as self-efficacy and social support.

Socio-culture factorscollective responsibility of the family members, neighbors and community members. The neighbors and community members. The supporting people had been also victims of home demolition, so the exposure to the actual home demolition retraumatize them.

Religious factorsIf religion is perceived as social commitment the adolescent feels an additional social pressure.

Adolescents with high levels of PTSD have a higher tendency for seeking informative and emotional supportfrom relevant professionals.

Approximately 78% of the adolescents reported a hightendency for seeking instrumental supportfrom close people. Thismeans sharing feelings related to the home demolition with a closeperson. Among them, 39% reported to receive much emotional andinstrumental supportfrom professionals.

Adolescents with higher tendency for seeking social supportfrom close persons and professionals reported higher levels ofgrowth, compared to adolescents with lower tendency for seekingsimilar support.

Financial assistance, Building Materials, Food, Shelter or New Home:““““We must give them money , help them to build a new home , to collect We must give them money , help them to build a new home , to collect We must give them money , help them to build a new home , to collect We must give them money , help them to build a new home , to collect

donations or supply everything they are need in order to livedonations or supply everything they are need in order to livedonations or supply everything they are need in order to livedonations or supply everything they are need in order to live””””. . . .

““““Help them at all the aspects of the life: food, water, clothes… new Help them at all the aspects of the life: food, water, clothes… new Help them at all the aspects of the life: food, water, clothes… new Help them at all the aspects of the life: food, water, clothes… new

home etc…home etc…home etc…home etc…””””home etc…home etc…home etc…home etc…””””

2

Slide 13

who is saying that? not clear؟٢ Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian; 07-01-2012

Moral support: empathy, sympathy, telling stories, and sharing sadness:“To help them by speaking and working with them, to stay with them… feel what they are feeling. And the very important thing is not to leave them alone”.

“ We must supportWe must supportWe must supportWe must supportthe families who lostthe families who lostthe families who lostthe families who losttheir home, stay withtheir home, stay withtheir home, stay withtheir home, stay withtheir home, stay withtheir home, stay withtheir home, stay withtheir home, stay withthem and encouragethem and encouragethem and encouragethem and encouragethem to continuethem to continuethem to continuethem to continuetheir life…”their life…”their life…”their life…”

Optimism:”Tell them that the situation will be improved,…. and we will try to do everything in order to help them…”.“To improve their feeling by telling them about happy things, to change the negative thoughts, and assist them in forgetting the act of the demolition”.

problem focused coping strategiesproblem focused coping strategiesproblem focused coping strategiesproblem focused coping strategies33% of all adolescents highlighted the importance of problem

focused coping strategies including: organizing demonstrationsand protests, legal assistance, solidarity and patriotism. They canbe summarized as active coping, planning and seekinginformative social support.informative social support.

� “Can improve the situation by organizing demonstrations against the

government or ask for help from an important person in the country”.

� “to struggle in order to protect their rights and their lands”.

emotional focused coping strategiesemotional focused coping strategiesemotional focused coping strategiesemotional focused coping strategies18% of the adolescents attributed importance toemotionally focused coping strategies, reflected throughsocial support and religious beliefs.

The posttraumatic growth process is reflected through positive changes like: a positive reassessment of life, a sense of closeness, seeking other opportunities in life, a strong sense of individual power and religious commitment or believe.

There are three factors that highly predict a process of posttraumatic growthafter exposure to home demolition:

There are three factors that highly predict a process of posttraumatic growthafter exposure to home demolition:

1. use of problem focused coping strategies (active coping, planning, seeking instrumental support, thorough and rational thinking, an optimistic situation reassessment).

2. counting on theavailability of family members, friends and/or other significant people;

3. approaching religion, believing strongly in God and fulfilling religious commandments (fasting, praying, etc).

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Shelter, food and security are three main priorities.

Some children and adolescents are more resilient than others, and some survive after the trauma.

But other children and adolescentsdevelop maladaptive But other children and adolescentsdevelop maladaptive coping mechanisms that threaten their psychological well-being and the social structure in the unrecognized villages.

The voices of children and adolescents need to be heard and used as a vehicle to inform both policies and practice for children in need of protection.