51. Punamaki, R. L., Qouta, S., and El Sarraj, E. Relationships between Traumatic Events, Children's Gender, and Political Activity, and Perceptions of Parenting Styles. International Journal of Behavioral Development 1997; 27,1: 91-109.

A study was conducted to examine the relationships between the perceived maternal and paternal parenting styles among girls and boys in conditions of political violence. The sample in this study, conducted during the heightened political conflict of the Intifada, consisted of 108 Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip, aged 11-12 years. Results indicate that the children in the sample perceived their fathers and mothers as being similarly strict in their disciplining. Boys were more politically active than girls, and there was a positive correlation between the level of traumatic events and the child's political activity. Children perceived their parents as being intimate and loving more frequently than rejective and hostile despite varying levels of traumatic experiences and political activity. According to the authors this may be attributed to the strong family ties found within Palestinian-Arab society. Boys were more likely than girls to have a negative maternal evaluation with an increased number of traumatic events. Negative paternal evaluation, on the other hand, was not associated with the number of traumatic events or gender. The gender of the child was an important determinant of perceived strict disciplining, and of rejection and hostility. While political activity was generally associated with perceived negative parenting, passive boys perceived their fathers as more rejecting and hostile than active boys did in families exposed to a high level of trauma. A similar effect was not found among girls.