Abstract:

In this commentary, I have attempted to address several conceptual, methodological, and ethical issues which I believe are relevant to research on exposure of Palestinian children to political violence. Although I believe the issues and challenges discussed here have relevance beyond Palestinian children and their families, I have identified some of the problems in the two articles discussed here, as well as in most of the empirical literature that has dealt with these phenomena in relation to Palestinian children. Indeed, I believe it would be unfair to expect the two articles to overcome all of the problems raised here. However, I hope I have succeeded in highlighting some challenges for future research on these phenomena and initiating a discussion of some issues that are relevant to investigation of Palestinian children's exposure to political violence and traumatic events.