Published: 24 November 2023
Last updated: 5 March 2024
Psychologist ESTHER TAKAC explains the post-traumatic stress that the children returning from Gaza will suffer.
Thinking of the Israeli children and babies held hostage the past 47 days has been almost unbearable. Their kidnapping is the worst nightmare of every parent - we can’t help but imagine, "What if this was my child?".
At night, especially, we’ve struggled to push aside their faces – it’s impossible to sleep with these young souls in our minds - but nonetheless they have been there, pretty continuously, part of our consciousness since October 7.
Research over the years shows that the impact of trauma is greater on children than adults. The word trauma comes from the Greek - it means wounded – we are talking about wounded psyches. Universally, children have higher rates for developing PTSD – they are more vulnerable. Now, finally, ending the acute phase of this traumatic ordeal, these children are coming home.
The Talmud teaches that whoever saves a single life saves an entire world. Each of these children is an entire world. And each is a different world. Their life experiences during, before and after this trauma are different – and will shape how each responds.
They are likely to have had different experiences during their captivity - at this time we don’t know the conditions. They were never visited by the Red Cross.
Were they with grown-ups? Were there mothers and fathers, grandparents to look after them, even if they were not their own? Did Hamas allow for that sort of nurturing and reassurance? Were they with other children so they could find some form of comfort with each other? Or, and the thought is heart breaking, were some of these children alone? Abandoned and terrified?
Did they suffer hunger? Pain? Threats of being hurt or killed? Medical attention or lack of – provided humanely or cruelly? Sensory deprivation? Darkness? No natural light? No nature? No place to play or run? Goodnight Tunnel, a twist on the popular Goodnight Moon bedtime story, imagines the night terrors of those children kidnapped by Hamas.
Before October 7, each of these children had different life experiences, different families, different challenges. These, both protective and detrimental, shape each child, how they experienced the captivity and how they will respond in the future.
