Children under occupation: Self-Perception of life satisfaction and happiness, the Palestinian Case

Lewinian studies about conflict between groups highlight how minority groups react to threat from a majority group by reinforcing their own identity. Moreover social integration and the salience of the context serve to protect children from political violence, and to enhance the psychological well-being of young people. Our aim is to explore if Palestinian children perceive themselves in terms of optimism and life satisfaction; if there are differences between Palestinian children living in different places (urban, rural, refugee camp); if our intervention promotes children’s self-perception of optimism and happiness. Method: self-reported questionnaires (SHS; LSS; YLOT) were administered to 232 Palestinian children school aged. Findings: despite the daily life conditions, Palestinian children appear satisfied of their life and optimistic. The highest score of happiness, life satisfaction and optimism are obtained by refugee camp’s children. Discussion: contextual factors would help the children to cope with stress and deprivations.