CHILDHOOD TRAUMA IN WAR SCENARIOS: PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS ON CHILDREN IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Abstract

Childhood trauma in war contexts in the Middle East configures itself as a phenomenon that transcends simple exposure to violence, representing a profound reconfiguration of developing psychological structures. This study examines, through an exploratory bibliographic approach, how experiences of armed conflict affect psychological trajectories of children, producing manifestations that persist beyond the acute crisis period. The research articulates perspectives from trauma psychology, developmental neurobiology, and resilience studies to understand mechanisms through which war inscribes itself in the child's body and mind. The results indicate that war trauma in children is not reduced to post-traumatic stress disorder; it represents a transformation of cognitive, emotional, and relational capacities that affects life trajectory. It concludes that understanding childhood trauma in war requires recognition that children are not simply passive victims, but developing beings whose capacities for resilience and adaptation can be cultivated through interventions that acknowledge specific contexts of violence.