Living in condition of chronic stress and military violence: agency and life satisfaction in Bedouin children in Palestine.

Background: Bedouin children living in Palestine are at risk of developing trauma-related pathologies because of a chronic exposure to political and military violence. Little is known about psychological well-being and life satisfaction in this group of children, as well as their competences of coping and skills of survival for adjusting to these adverse conditions. Method: Our study aims to longitudinally test the function of agency in predicting life satisfaction as a moderator for traumatic stress. Agency has been identified as a playing key role in protecting children from violent contexts and crucial in understanding how children can activate healthy strategies of coping and survival. We hypothesize that the more the children are agentic over the time in activating domains of life satisfaction, the more they are able to be satisfied with their life. Moreover, the more they are agentic the less they present signs of trauma. A cross-lagged longitudinal study was conducted with 143 children (M= 12.02; SD = 2.05) living in Bedouin communities. A quantitative cross-lagged path model design (CLPM) was chosen, with a set of quantitative measures gathered via questionnaires in two times (Children’s hope scale, Multidimensional Student Life Satisfaction Scale, Children’s impact of event scale). Findings: The regression coefficients were estimated via structural equation modelling including decomposition of total effects in direct and indirect effects. Results portrayed the role of agentic competencies as a promoting factor of life satisfaction and a protecting factor from trauma symptoms. Models suggested that life satisfaction and symptoms of trauma were longitudinally inter-related. Interpretation: Children are acting for their personal well-being mobilizing personal and contextual resources. Such agentic attitudes contribute to ease their lives under occupation and better their mental health despite the chronic traumatic conditions they are forced in.