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This study evaluated symptoms, risk, and protective factors of adolescents from six Israeli schools exposed to continuous terrorism. All children in the grades selected at each school (7, 9, and 11) were administered anonymous assessment materials measuring posttraumatic, grief, and dissociative symptoms, as well as traumatic exposure, personal resilience, and family factors. A high number of risk factors increased the likelihood of negative symptoms. Perceived personal resilience served as a protective factor against symptom development, perhaps enforced by ideology. Girls living on the West Bank had less severe posttrauma and were more willing to make personal sacrifices for their country. Proactive interventions aimed at enhancing a child's personal resilience and ability to cope with continuous stress may help protect against later symptomatology following traumatic events. Facing terrorism, political ideology may serve a double edge sword: protecting against symptom development as well as contributing to the toxic cycle of violence.

This study examines the impact of structured sensitivity training on teachers' perception of their pupils. Thirty-four female teachers were exposed to one of four programs: Group 1, the main experimental group, took part in structured training in which everyday situations in school were analyzed. Case-study protocols from the Bar-Ilan Picture Test for Children, a semiprojective interview, were used as a didactic tool Group 2 participated in unstructured sensitivity training focused on group processes according to the classical model of T-training. Groups 3 and 4 were comparison groups. Group 3 discussed topics concerning school proposed by the group. Group 4 listened to lectures on the topics raised in Group 1. The results showed a significant improvement in sensitivity for Group I (experimental) The rate of improvement for Group 2 (unstructured) fell between those for Group 1 (experimen tal) and Groups 3 and 4 (comparison).