The Development and Application of a Potentially Traumatic Events Checklist for Conflict-Affected Pupils Living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Children and young people living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OTP) are repeatedly exposed to potentially traumatic events that can challenge their mental health and school functioning. This study aimed to develop a practical checklist of conflict-related potentially traumatic events of relevance in the school context throughout the OPT. Post-traumatic stress reactions (PTSR) and school functioning assessed the predictive validity of the checklist. Furthermore, we sought to explore the frequency of exposure, PTSR and school functioning between the areas in the OTP and explore how frequency and severity of exposure was associated to PTSR and school functioning. The study was conducted using a mixed method approach between January-June 2019. A qualitative approach with focus group workshops in Gaza city and Ramallah in the West Bank defined the checklist. Quantitative data and statistical analysis validated the checklist and explored the further objectives. The checklist was administered to pupils aged 12-16 (N = 789) recruited from 17 schools in East-Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which reported a mean of 5.06 (SD = 2.48) conflict-related potentially traumatic events within the past three months, regardless of where they came from. The predictive validity of the checklist was found to be significant (p < .01), and exposure predicted PTSR and school functioning. Since the checklist consists of only 12 items, it is practical to use for screening and monitoring in a school context. The extent to which the checklist can serve as a multipurpose checklist remains to be tested through practical use, followed by evaluations and further research.