Gender, distress, and coping in response to terrorism

This study assessed women's vulnerability to the threats of terrorism; 326 Israeli citizens (198 women and 128 men) from cities that were hit hard by terrorist violence were interviewed to identify their level of exposure to terrorist events, symptoms of posttraumatic distress, and coping styles. Although the women were less exposed to terrorist events than were the men, they reported higher levels of indirect and subjective exposure (such as helping survivors or having the sense of a lucky escape). They suffered higher levels of negative mood and posttraumatic distress and reported using coping behaviors, particularly problem-solving strategies, more intensely than did the men. The results are discussed from the sociological and feminist perspectives.