Children under the age of eighteen comprise approximately half the population of the Gaza Strip. They have suffered from the violence of Intifada, during which they were specifically targeted by Israeli security forces for abuse and beatings, and they continue to suffer from the legacy of that violence and from the reality of the harsh economic conditions in the Gaza Strip.

Children have been particularly prone to psychological damage, including anxiety, depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), behavioral disorders, bedwetting, and nightmares, all on a large scale. In order to heal some of these wounds and help create a healthy and strong new generation of Palestinians, GCMHP has established a project specifically to deal with the mental health concerns of children, which now bears the name "Mental Health of the Children of Gaza."

The Project's preventative and therapeutic objectives aimed at promoting the mental health of Gazan children are as follows:

• To provide support, in the form of activities, counseling, and awareness, to teachers and children in kindergartens, and primary and preparatory schools in the region.

• To offer individual therapeutic treatment designed to help children cope with the trauma and stress they have experienced, as well as the difficulties they may be encountering in daily life as a result.

• To facilitate community activities designed to strengthen and support the children's social network through public awareness and education and through institutional cooperation and coordination.

Most recently, Project activities have included a "Parent Effectiveness Training Program" to prepare young married couples for family life and parenthood. The "Child to Child" activity involves efforts to teach children conflict-resolution and communication skills through interaction with other children.

This is done in cooperation with the Al-Shorok Wa Al-Amal Association in Khan Younis. In addition, a community-based research study on violence against children in the Bureij refugee camp and the village of Bani Suheila was conducted in cooperation with the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committee, Save the Children--Gaza, and the Palestinian Commission for Citizens' Rights.

The Project is constantly developing. In the future, GCMHP hopes to deepen its cooperation with the Palestine Solidarity Group and SIDA (Sweden), in order to enhance the Project's ability to serve the children of Gaza. Current plans involve workshops in Gaza to enhance staff training, as well as an evaluation of the project to take place in the fall of 2000.