Impact of war on children's personality, development, and future adjustment
MENA Dubai 2003 Abstract
Author Sawsan Shaker
Copy Iraq has already been a target of attack in 1991, followed by the economic embargo imposed by the American and British government. The enemies attack has been repeated in March 2003. Children are the most affected from wars and violence. The use of tons of bombs and missiles, the bombing of buildings, schools and hospitals leads to psychological trauma in children: panic, phobia, disturbed and unstable behavior, repetitive and obsessive images of the trauma, nightmares, hyperactivity, attention deficiency and sleep disorders.

The researcher made a study on Iraq's children using a PTSD scale on a sample and the results showed that 2000 children suffer from psychological and behavioral problems resulting from trauma. These problems appeared in the form of a fear of taking initiative, lack of trust, weak social competition, social isolation and withdrawal, depression and feelings of incompetence. Emotional disorders such as depression, anxiety, and a fear of the future were prevalent in this sample. The war experience will always be in the child's mind and it will affect their school performance. This phenomenon and these psychological disorders contradict Articles 29, 39, and 4 of the UN that states that Iraq's children need more psycho-educational and therapeutic programs and that their families need more educational and orientation programs.