Three Years of War Leave Israeli Children Struggling with Trauma and Trust

Three years into the war, the psychological toll on many children persists. A child should not have to question whether their home is safe, whether their parents can protect them, or if the state meant to safeguard them will actually do so. Because this often failed, professionals identify an additional dimension of trauma: a crisis of trust in those and what were supposed to protect them.

"The frustration and confusion resulting from this crisis are frequently channeled into verbal and physical violence, vandalism, anxiety, and the undermining of parental and teacher authority," experts explain. Prof. Asher Ben-Arieh, a child welfare and rights researcher and chairman of "Ofek" - the National Center for Resilience, Trauma, and Children's and Family Mental Health at the Hebrew University, explains that a different kind of trauma has emerged.

The Dimension of Betrayal

"Children were harmed precisely in the place that was supposed to be the safest for them, while their parents, through no fault of their own, failed to protect them," Prof. Ben-Arieh notes. He compares this ongoing trauma to chronic abuse where victims are harmed by those meant to be their protectors. Similar consequences are visible among teenagers, including violence, academic difficulties, depression, and anxiety.

At the "Ofek" center, established in the wake of the October 7 massacre, experts are working to translate these insights into new rehabilitation models implemented in schools. Noa Petrushka Aphek, a social work doctoral student at the Hebrew University and director of "Ofek," noted that the center was founded out of the understanding that the trauma experienced during the war is fundamentally different.

"The feeling of betrayal is only one element," says Petrushka Aphek. "Children and teenagers suffer from the accompanying consequences and symptoms. We see the crisis of trust in various forms, such as toward state institutions versus the family structure. Vandalism and violence on unusual scales among youth, and even protection rackets, are all expressions of mistrust and resistance to the system."

Statistical Impact and Rising Diagnostics

According to the Ofek center, 69 children have been killed since the beginning of the war, and over 1,500 have arrived at hospitals due to war-related injuries. In the second year of the conflict, the number of teenagers diagnosed with anxiety rose by about a third compared to the previous year, and eating disorder diagnoses increased by roughly a quarter. Additionally, some 275,000 children grew up during this period with a mother or father serving months of reserve duty.

Educational psychologist Yona Burstein, chair of the Psychologists' Federation, echoes these concerns, noting that the war created new types of trauma rooted in the loss of trust and a shattered sense of security.

Youth council representatives also voiced their struggles. Rotam Getreyda, a 12th-grade student and student council chair, noted that the situation has emotionally destabilized many youngsters. Liane Hajjaj, 16, head of the Ofakim student council, added that teenagers are dealing with pressures no one their age should face, noting that what is defined as a "return to routine" rarely feels like one.

The North and Ministry Response

Talya Ben Baruch, 17, from Beit Shean, chair of the Northern District Student Council, emphasized the lingering distress in the north: "The war may have ended, but we, the youth of the north, are still dealing with what it left behind—anxiety, sleepless nights, detachment, and ongoing loneliness."

The Ministry of Education stated that while the center's specific findings are not in their possession, professional teams from the psychological-counseling service have continuously supported students and educational staff since October 7, expanding counseling hours, developing screening tools, and building dedicated training programs to strengthen resilience and a sense of belonging.