“The Clouds Here Fight and Rage … Over There, They Don’t”: Evacuation Decisions of Families With Young Children Living in a War Zone

The decision whether to evacuate during periods of intense hostilities presents a complex dilemma for families with young children experiencing war-related continuous traumatic stress. While the short- and long-term mental health implications of continuous traumatic stress on such families are well documented, less is known about their dilemma of whether to evacuate. The present study explores the process of making evacuation decisions among Israeli families with young children living in an area subjected to rocket attacks along the border with Gaza. The study draws upon thematic analysis of responses to a qualitative online survey of 148 parents of young children residing in several rural communities located within 10 km of Israel’s border with Gaza. The finding indicated that the decision whether to evacuate or not was guided by three main considerations: physical safety, the mental state condition of both the parents and their children, and the desire to maintain continuity for the entire family, specifically the children. In addition, three time points weighed into the decisions: the past—the family experience with previous emergencies; the present, with emphasis on the nature of recent hostilities; and the future. Based on these findings, a circular model of family evacuation decisions in the context of shared war-related and ongoing traumatic stress situations is proposed and its clinical implications are discussed.