Post-traumatic reaction of israeli jewish and arab children exposed to rocket attacks before and after teacher-delivered intervention

Background: Belonging to ethnic minorities is a risk factor for traumatized children. This study investigated the influence of exposure to rocket attacks during the 2006 Lebanon War on Jewish and two groups of Arab Israeli students and the effect of implementing a teacher-delivered intervention focusing on resilience enhancement. Method: Children from both ethnic groups (N = 1,372) were assessed for stressful life events, symptoms and parental concern regarding adaptation before the 16- week program (T1) and after its completion (T2). Results: Arab children reported more severe symptoms at T1. The three groups showed a significant decrease to the same level at T2. Both ethnic groups differed in the level of parental concern and in the way stressful life events affected children's symptoms. Conclusions: The results suggest that school-based programs with teachers as clinical mediators could be a valuable, cost-effective cross-cultural model of intervention after mass trauma, moderating vulnerabilities of ethnic minorities.