Help-seeking behaviours of adolescents in relation to terrorist attacks: The perceptions of Israeli parents

Exposure to terrorism poses a challenge for children and adolescents as well as parents. For many years, Israeli citizens have been exposed to ongoing terrorist attacks. The present article is aimed at revealing the reactions of Israeli parents when facing terrorist attacks and their perceptions regarding the help-seeking behaviours of their adolescent children when confronted with terrorist attacks. The article is based on a survey of 684 parents (342 mothers, 342 fathers) of adolescents (11 to 19 years old). We compared the responses of mothers with those provided by fathers, and analysed the possible effect of the sex of the child on the responses of the parents. The study contributes to the understanding of the coping strategies utilised by parents and adolescents when confronting extremely stressful situations. It also offers a deeper scrutiny of the relationships between parents and their children at times of crisis.