ARTICLES

Children in Conflict and the Media

By: Bassem Eid

August 2003

Palestinian children are the most tragic victims of the ongoing occupation and the al-Aqsa Intifada.  These children are daily subjected to traumatic physical and mental incidents of violence.  Daily life for many Palestinian children often means sitting in dark, unprotected homes under curfew for days or sometimes weeks without a break to open their door and go outside.  They hear the sounds of full military arsenal including helicopters, tanks, armored personnel carriers, and bulldozers smash into houses and devour anything in their path.  They see crushed cars and hear neighbors screaming from fear or pain.  They wait in fear to hear the sound of the boots and of Israeli soldiers, coming to bang down their door demanding their fathers, brothers, uncles, or cousins.  Sometimes they witness their family blindfolded and taken away, or stripped or even shot.  They cross humiliating checkpoints, see their respected elders degraded, and know their movements are subject to the whim of whatever soldier mans the checkpoint.  The situation changes daily, by the moment.  Here is no pattern for security or schedule for stability.  This is what many Palestinian children see with their own eyes on a daily basis.

Violence is seen outside the home, on television, and many times the child is the direct victim of the violence.  It is known that violence breeds violence and Palestinian children are surrounded by it.  These are the life lessons they are being taught wherever they turn. 

A recent study of children in the Gaza Strip, found that 32.7% of children suffer from acute level post-traumatic stress disorder which requires immediate attention.  Over 900 children were questioned as a sample and many of the results if the study are alarming.  It was found that 94.6% of children have witnessed a funeral.  83.2% have witnessed shooting.  61.6% saw family members injured or killed, and 36.1% of children were hit by tear gas.[a]  This is eye-witness reality for the majority of children living in the Gaza Strip.  About half of the one million people who live in Gaza are children under 16 years old.  For the rest of the children, it is most likely to be replayed on the news or recounted through stories at school or amongst older friends.

A deeper level of violence takes place when Palestinian children are the physical victims themselves in countless attacks by the Israeli army.  Since the start of the al-Aqsa Intifada on September 29, 2000, 425 Palestinian children have been murdered by Israeli soldiers.  Countless others have been injured, many of them seriously, who will live the rest of their lives bearing the marks of violence on their bodies. 

• In Jenin, on March 24, 2003, a 15 year old boy was shot in the head and killed by Israeli forces that were imposing a curfew.  At the same time, another child was shot in the leg and rushed to the hospital.
• In Bethlehem, on March 26, 2003, a 10 year old girl was shot in the head by Israeli gunfire as she was traveling in her family’s car.  The car was hit when the Israelis attempted to assassinate someone else, and the incident ended in wounding all four family members in the car.  The child died on the way to the hospital.
• In Jenin, on March 26, 2003, soldiers shot a 15 year old boy in the chest, leaving him in critical condition.  Also, that day in Jenin, soldiers invaded two schools, searched classrooms, and ordered children out of the school under gunpoint.
• In Bethlehem, on March 29, 2003, Israeli soldiers attacked a crowd of 5000 children in front of the Church of the Nativity who were peacefully demonstrating in solidarity with Iraqi children.  When children threw stones at encircling tanks who were driving at high speed towards them, the soldiers responded by shooting live metal bullets, tear gas, and sound grenades, wounding at least 3 children under age 10, and terrorizing countless others.  Children were running in all directions, falling on top of each other, and it took hours to reunite children with their families because of the large crowd and chaos.
• At Qalandiya Refugee Camp near Ramallah, on April 2, a 15 year old boy was shot in the head and throat for throwing stones at heavily armored soldiers.  A 16 year old boy was also shot in the back, which proves he was trying to get away.

These are just a few examples of the daily violence that is suffered first-hand by Palestinian children.  There are stories of such violence from every day.  Schools are raided, homes are raided, children are in the street and suddenly a curfew is announced by live gunfire and tear gas, and in many other ways, war stares children in the face on a daily, hourly, basis. 

Witnessing violence in the media compounds what is seen in real life and can add great trauma itself.  Over 1,000 studies have proven that media violence can lead to aggressive behavior in children.  Children under age 8 are the most in danger of being damaged by media violence because at this vulnerable stage, they cannot easily decipher between real life and fantasy.  Violence on television can seem absolutely real to them.[b]

The effects of violence in the media have been shown in children’s behavior by an increased level of aggressiveness and anti-social behavior, increased fear of becoming a victim, a lack of sensitivity toward violence and victims, and an increase in desire to witness and/or participate in violence.

Another problem with witnessing violence in the media is that it rarely shows the consequences of violent behavior.  What is seen is only the shocking act, but not the suffering of the victim, how the victim will cope, punishment or guilt of the perpetrator, or legal or social ramifications.  It appears that one can behave violently and walk away from the incident without remorse or punishment.  A full story is rarely seen or perceived from what is presented in the media.  Therefore, children will believe that they are not responsible for violent behavior, as they never see anyone being held responsible for the violent acts they commit.

What can be done to help children deal with the surplus of violence that is constantly exposed in the media?  Parents play the crucial role in protecting their children and helping them cope with what they experience.  Parents can limit the effect of media violence through very specific means.  It is advised that the amount of television watched by children should be limited to 1-2 hours per day.  Parents should monitor the programs their children watch and restrict them from watching anything they feel has an overtly violent content.  Music videos and movies should also be monitored in the same way.  This form of media is increasingly violent and is often overlooked by unsuspecting parents.  Parents can teach children alternatives to violence for conflict resolution.  Children can learn a variety of techniques to express their emotions, request their desires and needs, and work through challenges and differences that do not use anger and force.

Parents can also help their children develop skills to understand the media and view it in its proper proportion.  First, children need explanations to help them distinguish between fantasy and reality.  Everything is real to them and they will need patient explanations to grasp the understanding that things that look very real with real people are in fact actors or fictitious.  Children also need to be taught that in real life, violence has many consequences.  They need to be taught that victims suffer physically, emotionally, psychologically, and in other ways.  The families of victims also suffer to see someone they love hurt.  Violence is punishable by law and there is often imprisonment as a result. Children also need to learn that guilty feelings and remorse often follows violent behavior and rarely does the violence accomplish the desired actions.  Watching television and monitoring other media with children and later discussing what was observed is a good way to walk children through this process.  Children should be asked what they think about what was seen and helped to rationalize through what the repercussions are likely to be in a given situation.  It is also wise to ask children how they feel after witnessing violence as this is an indicator of how they process the violence in their minds at and of their level of understanding.[c]

When children are living amongst violence, as well as observing it in the media, it is incredibly unsettling and they need extra help from their parents to make them feel safe.  Teachers are also fundamental to helping children deal with violence in the best manner possible, as many hours are spent in the classroom and children also look to teachers for guidance.  Children need to clearly know what is happening around them, how these things affect them personally, and how they should deal with their feelings.

Children are especially vulnerable if they live in a “high target” area, if they have suffered a personal loss from violence, if their parents are involved in security or emergency response forces, if they feel threatened by racism or intolerance, and if they suffer from depression of post-traumatic stress disorder.  These children should be targeted for special care and guidance.[d]

Parents and teachers, who are the main authority figures in a child’s life, need to be calm and reassuring when dealing with real or viewed violence.  It is important that adults take care of their needs and deal with their emotion so they can serve children with a god perspective that will help them cope.  Children take their cues from adults and will often monitor the behavior they see in their elders.  The difference between possibility and probability of violence happening to children needs to be very clear to them.  Children should be encouraged to ask questions and talk about their feelings.  It is important that they feel safe to express themselves in order to help children work through their feelings and come to solid understanding of the truth.  Adults should empathize with children and reassure them that others are sharing their feelings and that it is normal for them to go through this coping process.  It is advisable for children to keep a normal routine to have stability in their lives. This can include regular mealtimes, bedtimes, exercise, and family times.  Time with the family is crucial and reaffirms parental love for children.  Another way to help children cope is to point out the resiliency of people and remind them of their own coping skills.  Surely each child has overcome a struggle and emerged strong after the challenge.  It is important that adults keep a positive perspective around children, reminding them of a promising future.

It is important to discuss events in the media at an age-appropriate level.  Children cannot grasp many adult concepts and this may only add to their confusion and sense of insecurity.  It is important to observe how concerned children are with the violence they see and then judge how much information they will need.  If children do not feel anxious or overly-concerned about events, it is best not to dwell on them.  Children usually cannot handle very frightening information or intense details, so it is best to leave this information out of the conversation. Children may need to be reassured several times of their safety and of the adults around to protect them.  It is best to limit conversations on violence to the facts of what has transpired and not to speculate on what may happen.  The imaginations of children can be very wide and this can open up greater, unrealistic fears.

Many different ideas and viewpoints will be presented in the media.  Conflict can be analyzed from a variety of different angles with many opposing opinions.  It is wise to teach children not to ridicule people who have opinions or ideas different than their own.  Young children often view matters in absolute terms such as those that are good and those that are bad.  Children need the understanding that most people are good and care about the same things for their lives.  It is important that children learn to express themselves in a manner that is respectful to others who may differ with them and that they can differentiate between fact and opinion.  Children can also grow to value a deeper understanding of the world by learning about different vies and opinions. 

There should be frequent communication between parents and their educators, and all the more so in times of conflict.  Parents should be aware of what children are learning and can follow up on topics that are discussed in school.  Teachers see children in a very different environment than in the home and what they observe can be very helpful to parents assessing their children’s needs.  If the topic of violence arises in the classroom, the teacher must be prepared to guide the conversation and answer questions using facts.  Teachers should observe to monitor and stop any abusive comments or harassment between students with differing opinions.  Classroom projects that help others in need who are suffering from a violent conflict are a great way to empower children and help them deal with violence in a productive manner. 

Sometimes children will not want to or be able to express themselves verbally.  Changes in behavior can alert parents to a need to help children deal with violence and traumatic events.  Very young children may display behavior such as bed-wetting, thumb sucking, trouble sleeping, fear of the dark, withdrawal from their normal behavior, and clinging to adults.  School-age children may display irritability, nightmares, poor concentration, or a lack of desire to attend school or social activities.  Older children may develop sleeping and eating trouble, agitation, delinquent behavior, or an increase in conflict.  These are symptoms that a child is having trouble dealing with violence and they need greater help from the adults in their lives.[e]

It cannot be emphasized enough that parents need to monitor the amount of violence that children observe on the television, in movies, with computer games, and even weapon-like toys.  The evidence is clear that observing violence has a harmful impact on a child’s development.  While children cannot be protected from all incidents, especially when they live in an area of high violence, like Palestinian children, care needs to be taken to protect them as much as possible.  Exposure to excessive violence leaves children to believe that violence is a natural response to conflict.  Many Palestinian families have noted that children talk about violence more and that they replay many of the violent incidents that they witness in their lives or on news coverage.

Research has shown that violent television programs lead children to engage in less imaginative play and to instead simply imitate the violent behavior the saw displayed.  They may play “war,” pretend to blow things up or recreate violent attacks.  When children do engage in this behavior, they can be gently redirected in their play to consider the roles of doctors, and firemen, people who rescue and rebuild after damage.[f]

Children in conflict live in a very precarious situation.  They need the utmost care and attention to guide them through such challenging times and help foster progressive development into adulthood.  Violence in the media is proven time and again to be detrimental to the well-being of children and they need to be protected as much as possible form it.  Media violence does not simply report what is happening in the society.  It also contributes to the violence in society.  Children are the beginning of the future and it is the responsibility of adults to guide them as they grow.  Monitoring the media observed by children is one very significant way that we can protect our children and helps them grow into healthy adults.