Social work in Israel with children and mothers who returned from Hamas captivity

Summary During the events of October 7, 2023, 240 men, women, and children were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists to the Gaza Strip. The current study explores challenges faced by social workers at Schneider Children's Medical Center in Israel as they performed an intervention with returning hostages from Hamas captivity and their families. This traumatic event is unprecedented in its characteristics, complexity, and the need to treat this unique group with a very limited prior research and clinical knowledge, within a short hospitalization period ranged from 5 days to 2 weeks. This qualitative phenomenological approach research aims to identify and describe themes related to the personal and professional encounters of 13 social workers with the returnees and their families. Findings The findings highlight a central theme: parallel processes in creating connections between different social workers and returning hostages. This process facilitated the creation of connections that allowed the return of nascent trust, security, and control among the returning hostages and their families. Applications Given the unique characteristics of the trauma, the social workers had to address the returning hostages’ collapse of basic existential feelings of trust, control, and security in themselves and others. The research suggests the feasibility of establishing secure attachment in a short period. The study also points to the necessity of considering initial attachment processes in the planning and guidance of social services for future trauma victims.