Strengthening positive functioning in children growing up amidst political and military violence: The role of emotions in adjusting to trauma

Mainstream clinical studies on children living and growing-up in war-affected areas appear to emphasize the symptoms and dysfunction that can arise when children are exposed to political and military violence. This focus may reflect Western preconceptions regarding the fragility and vulnerability of children, which also inform diagnostic and intervention programs. The very construct of resilience is too closely related to pathological frameworks, accounting for the successful adaptation of only a small minority of the population affected by trauma. In fact, resilience does not explain why the greater part of the child population does not develop symptoms in the aftermath of war despite multiple exposures to traumatic events. To gain a better understanding of functioning factors and positive adjustment in children affected by war, a change of framework is required. Positive emotions, optimism and life satisfaction are pivotal factors that can affect children's well-being, enabling them to overcome traumas and psychological suffering. In this chapter we present two quantitative cross-sectional studies carried out in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, which show that despite adverse life conditions and the ongoing chronic conflict affecting the area, Palestinian children remain optimistic, satisfied with their lives and able to deal with environmental constraints via positive emotions. The children completed self-reported measures before receiving psychoeducational interventions aimed at reinforcing positive emotions as protective factors in coping with trauma. Ecological dimensions promoting positive emotions and life satisfaction in children are discussed