In the past six years, the children in Israel have been exposed to the effects of Covid on their schooling, the horrors of October 7th, a two-year war with Hamas in which many of their parents who fought in the army came home injured (or didn’t come home at all), and missiles being shot at them from Iran.

How have these precious children dealt with these traumatic episodes, and what has the country of Israel done to help them through this difficult period?

I spoke with Dr. Naomi Baum, a psychologist and international consultant in the field of trauma and resilience building about this subject. In the last two decades she has dedicated herself to creating and implementing resilience-building programs for those exposed to trauma, be it terrorism, war, or natural disaster.

She is the co-author of the recently published “Inner Space: My Resilience Workbook” for elementary aged children, and “I Feel That Way and That’s Okay,” a story book for preschoolers to build resilience, both published by Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services, Kestenbaum Family International Children’s Services. Additionally, she is the author of professional articles on resilience building and trauma.  Her most recent adult book entitled “ISRESILIENCE: What Israelis Can Teach the World,” can be found on Amazon. Her website is www.naominbaum.com.

Below is a transcript of our interview.

Over the past six years, Israeli children have experienced Covid disruptions, political instability, the trauma of October 7th, prolonged war, and ongoing missile threats. From a developmental psychology perspective, how does repeated exposure to different kinds of trauma affect children differently than a single traumatic event?

We don’t really know how prolonged exposure will affect children long term, but what I can say is that as a population, as a people, I think we’re tired. I sense this great sense of fatigue. The people who tend to be anxious are anxious once again, and the people who tend not to be anxious are not particularly anxious, but they’re tired.

I’m concerned about kids who have been out of school for so long, and so often.  I believe that’s going to shape the face of education. I think something is going to have to change.  Kids have been going weeks and months without attending school and I worry about that a great deal. I am concerned about both the quality and the quantity of their education, and what kinds of kids the educational system is turning out.

In the aftermath of October 7th, many children were exposed not only to violence but also to graphic images and intense media coverage. How does secondary exposure through media shape a child’s trauma response, and what guidance do you give parents about managing this?

I suggest that parents reduce media exposure, both for themselves and certainly for their children. We know that by merely viewing graphic and horrific events, you can develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.  Prolonged viewing is not good, not for kids and not for adults.

Keeping the television on all the time in the background is a terrible idea.  Screens are very convenient babysitters, and when you have tired parents, the easiest thing to do is to say to the kids: go watch TV.  But, having said that, the amount of screen time that kids have is just incredibly high, and it’s understandable, because parents are tired, and they’re at their wit’s end. They are at home together, the adults are expected to work and they’re trying to work. There’s not a lot of allowances for the fact that they have kids at home, and they’re holding down jobs with deadlines.  So, it’s kind of an impossible situation.

Many children have had a parent serving in the IDF for extended periods, sometimes returning injured or not returning at all. What are the unique psychological challenges for children in military families during prolonged conflict?

One of the things you must realize is military families are not a small minority here in Israel.  There’s a huge segment of society that has been serving incredibly long periods of time, and families have had to adjust to the absence of a parent, usually a father, for long periods of time. The parent misses important events, such as birthdays, celebrations, and holidays. He misses out on the day-to-day family life, and the back and forth — going to reserves and coming home, and then going back again is not so simple, not for young children, not for older children, and not for spouses. The reentry back into the family can also be a time fraught with difficulty.

Returning reserve soldiers report that when you’re in the military, you feel like you’re doing something very important; your adrenaline level is high.  You feel like you’re accomplishing something. And then you come home, and maybe it’s taking out the garbage, or you’re changing a diaper, or you’re putting a kid to sleep, and it doesn’t seem all that important.  But it’s super important. Very difficult, though. The transition back and forth and in and out … the furloughs … the guys come home for a day or two in the middle.  I’ve heard many, many women say it would be easier if they just stayed away, if they didn’t come home for that day or two. It’s really difficult.

How do children process the uncertainty of ongoing missile attacks — where the threat is intermittent but persistent? Does living under chronic threat create different coping mechanisms than acute trauma?

I think so. I think your body is in a constant state of alert at a lower level, but that constant state of alert is definitely wearing. I think all of us are walking around with that high alert.  You’re kind of waiting for the next siren to go off. And the longer this war goes on, and the more we’ve had these alarms and gone into the safe rooms and nothing has happened in our immediate vicinity, the amount of anxiety is probably reduced, but I think the long-term cost is still reasonably high.

During Covid, children faced isolation, interrupted schooling, and social regression. When layered with war-related trauma, have you seen compounded effects — or in some cases, unexpected strengths that emerged?

Certainly spending a lot of time at home with siblings has strengthened some families, even though parents are very tired. On the other hand, other families have totally broken down, so I think it’s a wash.

Israel often speaks about “resilience” as a national characteristic. From your professional perspective, what does resilience look like in children? Is it emotional toughness, flexibility, community connection, or something else?

Well, in children, I think resilience has to do with being able to express how they’re feeling and understanding … what it is that their bodies are telling them.  Resilience is being able to express the feeling, and being able to reach out for help if they need help. Flexibility is certainly a cornerstone of resilience in everybody, young and old. Young children by nature are reasonably flexible, so I think little kids are naturally resilient, and they certainly take their cues from the adults around them. Depending on how the adults around them are doing – that’s usually an indication of how they are doing. If they have stressed parents, then they themselves may indeed be very stressed. On the other hand, if their parents seem to be going with the flow, then usually they probably will as well.

What role have Israeli schools played in addressing trauma over these years? Are there specific resilience-building programs, therapeutic models, or teacher-training initiatives that have proven especially effective?

Well, the schools have been shut down, and while there have been attempts to have some zoom classrooms, it seems to me that these are quite optional, and very varied.  Some teachers are skilled on Zoom, others less so.  I am sure that in the Zoom rooms there has been a lot of talk about the sirens and sheltering, but actual processing of trauma rarely takes place in school.  Having said that, the ratio of psychologists and guidance counselors to students is relatively high in Israel. So there are a lot of mental health services available in our schools, when they are open.  However, over the last couple weeks, those services have not been available to kids. Mental health needs have grown exponentially since October 7th. I think people are very, very aware of their feelings, what they need, and how to get help if necessary. Stigma for accessing mental health has undergone a sea change in the last several years.

How have community-based frameworks — youth movements, religious communities, neighborhood networks — helped buffer children against trauma? Are there particular cultural or societal factors in Israel that support recovery?

I don’t there is any kind of systematic approach to dealing with kids or families on a national level.  The smaller the community, the more likely they are to provide services and care, but at this point we are all in survival mode, trying to get through each day.

For children who have lost a parent or sibling in the war, what are the long-term psychological risks, and what interventions are most critical in the first year after such a loss?

I don’t know that it’s necessarily just the first year, but there are some very wonderful organizations, non-government organizations, that have grown and developed over the years – and that have really focused on families and children that have lost a parent. There are all sorts of programs, such as ongoing enrichment and workshops, weekends, bar and bat mitzvah celebrations, and vacations to summer camps. These NGOs have really done a wonderful job of supporting these families and creating a place for kids who’ve had similar experiences to meet other kids and help them get through their trauma.

The Koby Mandel Foundation and One Family are two examples of organizations that have been really outstanding in working with families and kids.  On a governmental level, both the Ministry of Defense and the Bituach Leumi have extensive services and funding for children who have lost family members.  Sometimes accessing these services can be challenging, but they do exist, and Israel is a society that cares about its children and families.

Looking ahead, what worries you most about the long-term impact of this sustained period of crisis on Israeli children — and what gives you the greatest hope?

What worries me most is the unknown, how this all is going to impact the kids and play out, because it has been one war after another, an endless round of emergency situations. My hope is that, Am Yisrael Chai, we’re a strong, vibrant nation with a lot of resources, both spiritual resources, societal resources, community resources, and financial resources. I think we’re a strong country economically.  So all those things lead to a brighter future.

What continues to worry me is the divisiveness in our society, which is a huge problem. The political situation is not a pretty picture either. Those are things that worry me. In the long run, I am quite sure we will be okay.  We are a very strong people. We have a lot of “emuna,” belief in G-d, and belief that this is where we belong in the world.  It takes us back to that overused word, resilience. But it is unavoidable: we are a resilient people!

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)