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from the issue of January 11, 2007
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Abbott studies impact of violence on Middle East families
BY KIM HACHIYA, UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
Every day during the seven months he spent in Haifa, Israel, Doug Abbott took a bus to his workplace, using the same bus stop where 17 Israeli children were killed in a suicide bombing in 2000. A memorial, including pictures of the dead, marked the location.
As part of the work that brought him to Israel, Abbott interviewed the families of three of those children. He also interviewed seven other Israeli families; his colleagues interviewed 25 Palestinian families, hoping to learn what the loss of children to political violence does to the dynamics of the surviving families.
Preliminary findings show some similarities in family functioning, Abbott said. But some apparently faith-based differences also are evident.
Abbott spent January through July 2006 in Haifa, which at the time was plagued by daily shelling as part of the on-going Israeli-Palestinian tensions. Abbott is a professor of Family, Youth and Family Studies in the College of Education and Human Sciences. His colleagues included respected Muslim social worker Muhammad Haj-Yahia of Hebrew University, and a well-known Jewish family scientist Yoav LaVee, from Haifa University.
Abbott, who has conducted research on families in China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Japan and the Philippines, was interested in exploring how family functioning changed following the violent death of a child, particularly changes in attitudes toward the "enemy" who caused the childrens' deaths. His semester in Israel was funded by a Fulbright grant.
Stressing that his findings are early in the analysis process, Abbott said some patterns are emerging as tapes and data from the interviews are logged and reviewed. All the families lost children between 2000 and 2003. The Israeli children died in random suicide bombings, were shot or stoned by Palestinians. The Palestinian children were killed by Israeli military fire; sometimes the children were part of protests (throwing rocks, bricks, etc. at soldiers) or died because they were in the vicinity of targets of Israeli shelling.
In factors such as initial emotional response, marital relations, parent-child relations and effects on siblings, Palestinian and Israeli families showed similar patterns, Abbott said. These include initial shock, disbelief and sadness; more permissive parenting but imposing travel and activity restriction on surviving children; receiving community support; siblings displaying withdrawal, isolation and poor grades; and long-term sadness and depression.
Some differences are apparent, however. Palestinian parents, who tend to view the Israeli Army as terrorists, also tend to label their children as martyred, a great honor in Islam. A child's death seems to exacerbate Palestinian hatred for Jews and the Jewish Israel. Israelis view their children as being the victims of murder at the hands of extremists and show limited animosity for the general Palestinian people, he said.
Abbott asked the families if they saw any positive changes since the deaths of their children. Israeli families said helping others in similar situations and working for legislative/political changes to benefit murdered civilians and their families were positive outcomes. Palestinian families also reported beneficial outcomes including feeling closer to God, experiencing community esteem as parents of martyrs, and making religious pilgrimages.
When asked about afterlife experience, Israelis reported little belief in life after death, but Palestinians reported strong belief in heaven or paradise for martyrs.
Abbott conducted the interviews with the Israeli families; Palestinian graduate students interviewed the other families, as it was unsafe for Abbott to travel to the West Bank.
Abbott, his wife and a 15-year-old daughter lived in Haifa, which came under rocket fire during the period. Like everyone else in the city, he said, they spent time in bomb shelters.
Israelis have developed an ability to live with the random, unpredictable acts of violence that occur in the country, he said, by adopting the mindset of "it's not going to happen to you."
He likened it to Nebraskans knowing that tornados occur, and being vaguely prepared, but not pre-occupied with fear.
"You just live your life," he said. Armed soldiers are everywhere, he said, and metal detectors and screeners with wands guard bars, restaurants, grocery stores, every place of business. "You just get used to it; it becomes a normal part of life."
Abbott continues to analyze the data and is seeking funding to complete the translation and transcribing of the Palestinian interviews. His overseas colleagues will also analyze the data. He said he hopes that a book or other publication emerges from the Palestinian interviews.
GO TO: ISSUE OF JANUARY 11
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