Narratives from Jenin Refugee Camp: Children as extreme defence against the disintegration of family and community

This paper aims to explore practices that create serious risks to the physical and psychological health of Palestinian children. The typical stories of three children interviewed at Jenin refugee camp are subjected to content analysis. This analysis also extends to the micro and macro social developmental context of these children (which they share with the entire child population of the camp). Key themes emerging from the analysis include the need to “redeem” grandparents and parents (depressed, preoccupied, without hope), intolerance of imprisonment and being coerced into confined spaces (which are invaded on a daily basis), the need for space to play in, the acceleration, through violence, towards adulthood. The motivations leading to dangerous practices and risk and protective factors are discussed.