Reviews the research literature on the effects of war-related stressors on children and adolescents. Whereas massive exposure to wartime trauma seems likely to overwhelm children’s defenses, more moderate degrees of exposure may result in self-protective and adaptive styles that enable effective functioning. Given that the evidence also suggests that many children exposed to stressful wartime conditions exhibit no significantly increased psychopathology, research should focus on factors that may mediate the effects of these conditions, including age, inborn coping capacity, cognitive and developmental levels, parental response to wartime stressors, family acclimatization to moderate levels of stress, and social supports and community cohesion. Three approaches to interventions for children affected by the events of war operate at the level of the child, his or her family, and the community. Child-focused interventions often entail identifying the pattern of symptoms, facilitating the child’s expression of fears and anxieties, and enabling the child’s understanding of the traumatic situation. Effective approaches with families promote family strengths and cohesion. Community-level work also may be necessary because the social structure provides the norms and contexts for interpreting traumatic events. One focus for future research is greater clarification of the optimal level of intervention for traumatized children and communities.
