INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY, 1995, 30 (3). 289-304 The Relations Between Traumatic Experiences, Activity, and Cognitive and Emotional Responses Among Palestinian Children zy Samir Qouta zyxw Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Gaza, Palestine Raija-Leena Punamaki University of Helsinki, Finland Eyad El Sarraj Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, Gaza, Palestine The relations between the level of traumatic experiences, degree of active participation in the Intifada, and cognitive and emotional responses were studied among 108 Palestinian children of 11-12 years of age in the Gaza Strip. The results showed that the more traumatic experiences the children had and the more they participated in the Intifada, the more concentration, attention, and memory problems they had. Traumatic experiences also increased neuroticism and risk-taking, and Intifada participation decreased self-esteem. Children’s active participation in the Intifada could not protect children from developing emotional problems, as was originally assumed. The highest level of neuroticism was found among active boys who were exposed to many traumatic experiences. Les relations entre le niveau d’expCriences vkcues traumatiques, le degrk de participation a 1’Intifada et les reactions cognitives et Cmotives ont CtC Ctudiees chez 108 enfants palestiniens de 11-12 ans dans la bande de Gaza. Les rCsultats moment qui plus les enfants ont VCCU des expCriences traumatiques et participd zyxwv 1 l’htifada, plus ils ont des probltmes d’attention, de concentration et de memoire. Les experiences traumatiques augmentent aussi le nCvrotisme et la prise de risques et la participation zyx 5 l’intifada diminue I’estime de soi. Contrairement B ce qui Ctait postulb, la participa- tion active a I’Intifada ne pourrait proteger les enfants contre I’apparition de Requests for reprints should be sent to Raija-Leena Punamaki, Department of Psychology, We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Ranya Bakr in the data analysis, and Amal Applied Division. PO zyxwvu Box 4, (Fabianinkatu 28), 00014-University of Helsinki, Finland. Juda in the data collection. zyxwvut 0 1995 hernational Union of Psychological Science