International Social Work 2016, Vol. 59(6) 861–874 © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0020872814531304 isw.sagepub.com isw Violence in the ‘Ayn al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, 2007–2009 Royce A Hutson Boise State University, USA Harry Shannon McMaster University, Canada Taylor Long University of Michigan, USA Abstract Conditions in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon are difficult, with poverty rates high, educational attainment low, and opportunities few. Of concern to policy-makers is ‘Ayn al- Hilweh, the largest camp in Lebanon. This camp experiences frequent factional violence and harbors numerous individuals wanted by Lebanese authorities. This study, using a random survey of households, examined the frequency of households’ experience with violence and the association of experiencing violence with PTSD symptomology. Results show one in five households experienced violence and these experiences were associated with increased PTSD symptomology. Implications for social work within the camp are discussed. Keywords Armed conflict, Lebanon, Palestinians, PTSD, refugees, violence Introduction As a result of their displacement during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, over 100,000 Palestinian refu- gees settled in Lebanon. On account of their status as stateless persons and their involvement in the 1975–90 Lebanese Civil War, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon generally live in worse conditions than Palestinian refugees in other countries. Poverty rates for the community are high, educational attainment is low, life opportunities are few, and Palestinians generally suffer from discrimination Corresponding author: Royce A Hutson, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725, USA. Email: roycehutson@boisestate.edu 531304ISW 0 0 10.1177/0020872814531304International Social WorkHutson et al. research-article 2014 Article