Perception of the threat of War in Israel- implications for future preparedness planning

Israel Journal of Health Policy Research

Kobi Peleg²  Shulamith Kreitler³  Maya Siman-Tov²  Moran Bodas¹ 

[1] The Department of Disaster Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Tel-Aviv, Israel;Sheba Medical Center, Israel National Center for Trauma & Emergency Medicine Research, The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel;Psychoncology Research Center, Sheba Medical Center, Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Hashomer, Ramat-Gan, Israel

关键词: Israel;    Perception of threat;    War;    Preparedness;    Emergency;   

Others  :  1230012
DOI  :  10.1186/s13584-015-0026-7

 received in 2014-12-23, accepted in 2015-06-06,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Background

It has been recently reported that the preparedness of the Israeli public to a war scenario is mediocre. These findings suggest a need to study the psychosocial mechanisms behind individual motivation to engage in preparedness behavior. One component of these mechanisms is the perception of threat. The purpose of this study is to portray the perception of the threat of war by the Israeli public and to deduce possible implications for resilience-promoting policies.

Methods

Portions of the data accumulated in a telephone-based random sampling of 503 households (representing the Israeli population) performed in October 2013 were utilized to examine the perception of the threat of war by Israelis. The questionnaire was used to examine the level of household preparedness, as well as attitudes toward perception of threat, preparedness responsibility, willingness to search for information, and sense of preparedness. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the correlations between different components of threat perception, and to evaluate the preparedness promoting features of specific perception factors.

Results

The data suggest that the perception of threat is influenced by different socio-demographic factors. In particular, age, religion and education seem to play an important role in the perception of threat. Compared to data collected almost a decade ago, the likelihood perception and threat intrusiveness rates were significantly reduced. The regression analysis suggests that perception of the severity of the impact on a family’s routine and willingness to search for information, two known preparedness promoting factors, can be predicted by various socio-demographic and threat perception components.

Conclusion

The data suggest that the Israeli public, post the Second Lebanon War (2006) and the Gaza conflicts of 2009 and 2012, perceives the probabilities of war and being affected by it as diminished. The Israeli public demonstrates what can be considered as the unique characteristics of a war-victimized population. Implications for a future resilience-promoting policy were discussed.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Bodas et al.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]United Nations. Strategic Framework 2025 - Work Program 2012–2015. UNISDR website. http://www.unisdr.org/files/23291_1101657inteng.pdf. October 2011. Accessed December 4, 2013.
• [2]Peek LA, Mileti DS. The history of disaster research. In: Handbook of environmental psychology. Bechtel RB, Churchman A, editors. John Wiley & Sons Inc, New-York; 2002: p.511-524.
• [3]Hemond Y, Robert B. Preparedness: the state of the Art and future prospects. Dis Prev Manag. 2012; 21(4):404-417.
• [4]Trost J, Hultaker O. Introduction - family and disaster (special issue). Intl J Mass Emerg Dis. 1983; 1:7-18.
• [5]Drabek TE. Human responses to disaster: an inventory of sociological findings. Springer, New-York, NY; 1986.
• [6]Kirschenbaum A. The mother Hen effect. In: Chaos organization and disaster management. Kirschenbaum A, editor. Marcel Dekker, New York; 2003: p.177-213.
• [7]Coffman S. Parents’ struggle to rebuild family life after hurricane Andrew. Issues Ment Health Nurs. 1996; 17:353-367.
• [8]Patterson JM. Integrating family resilience and family stress theory. J Marriage Fam. 2002; 64:349-360.
• [9]Gerrity ET, Steinglass P. Relocation stress following catastrophic events. In: Terrorism and disaster: individual and community mental health interventions. Ursano RJ, editor. Cambridge University Press, New York; 2003: p.259-286.
• [10]Miller L. Family therapy of terroristic trauma: psychological syndromes and treatment strategies. Am J Fam Ther. 2003; 31:257-280.
• [11]Kirschenbaum A. Families and disaster behavior: a reassessment of family preparedness. Int J Mass Emerg Dis. 2006; 24:111-143.
• [12]Moran Bodas, Maya Siman-Tov, Shulamith Kreitler and Kobi Peleg. Assessment of Emergency Preparedness of Households in Israel for War—Current Status. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9(4):382-390.
• [13]Lindell MK, Perry RW. Household adjustment to earthquake hazard: a review of research. Environ Behav. 2000; 32(4):461-501.
• [14]Lindell MK, Prater CS. Risk area Residents’ perception and adoption of seismic hazard adjustments. J Appl Soc Psychol. 2002; 32(11):2377-2392.
• [15]Turner RH, Nigg JM, Paz D. Waiting for disaster: earthquake watch in California. University of California Press, California; 1986.
• [16]Burns R, Sullivan P. Perceptions of danger, risk taking, and outcomes in a remote community. Environ Behav. 2000; 32(1):32-71.
• [17]Kirschenbaum A. Preparing for the inevitable: environmental risk perceptions and disaster preparedness. Intl J Mass Emerg Dis. 2005; 23(2):97-127.
• [18]Lindell MK, Hwang SN. Households’ perceived personal risk and responses in a multihazard environment. Risk Anal. 2008; 28(2):539-556.
• [19]Miceli R, Sotgiu I, Settanni M. Disaster preparedness and perception of flood risk: a study in an alpine valley in Italy. J Environ Psychol. 2008; 28:164-173.
• [20]Garcia EM. Earthquake preparedness in California: a survey of Irvine residents. Urban Res. 1989; 5:15-19.
• [21]Mulilis JP, Duval TS. Negative threat appeals and earthquake preparedness: a person-relative-to-event Pre model of coping with threat. J Appl Soc Psychol. 1995; 25:1319-1339.
• [22]Lindell MK, Whitney DJ. Correlates of household seismic hazard adjustment adoption. Risk Anal. 2000; 20(1):13-26.
• [23]Duval TS, Mulilis JP. A person-relative-to-event (PrE) approach to negative threat appeals and earthquake preparedness: a field study. J Appl Soc Psychol. 1999; 29(3):495-516.
• [24]Ballantyne M. Information on volcanic and earthquake hazards: the impact on awareness and preparation. Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences, New Zealand; 2000.
• [25]Paton D, Smith LM, Johnston D. Volcanic hazards: risk perception and preparedness. N Z J Psychol. 2000; 29(2):86-91.
• [26]Perry RW, Lindell MK. Volcanic risk perception and adjustment in a multi-hazard environment. J Volcanol Geotherm Res. 2008; 172(3):170-178.
• [27]Johnson T, Owens L. Survey response rate reporting in the professional literature. 2003.
• [28]Kulas JT, Stachowski AA, Haynes BA. Middle response functioning in likert-responses to personality items. J Bus Psychol. 2008; 22(3):251-259.
• [29]Lahad M, Shacham M, Shacham Y et al.. The impact of the 2006 Lebanon War on both traumatic experience and resiliency of Jews and Arabs in north Israel - a longitudinal study. In: Welfare, health and education services in emergency times. Azaiza F, editor. Pardes Publication, Haifa, IL; 2010: p.117-145.
• [30]Kohn S, Eaton JL, Feroz S et al.. Personal disaster preparedness: an integrative review of the literature. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2012; 6(03):217-231.
• [31]Waxman D. Living with terror, not living in terror: the impact of chronic terrorism on Israeli society. Perspectives Terror. 2011; 5(5–6):4-26.
• [32]Israel State Comptroller and Ombudsman. Home Front Preparedness and Functioning during the Second Lebanon War - Full report. July 18, 2007; Available at:. http://old. mevaker.gov.il/serve/contentTree.asp?bookid=493&id=188&contentid=9063&parentcid=9061&bctype=1&sw=1366&hw=698 webcite
• [33]Israel Security Agency database: One Year to “Cast Lead” Operation. Tel-Aviv, Israel: December 2009; Available at:. https://www. shabak.gov.il/publications/archive/oferet/Pages/tlul11-1-09.aspx webcite
• [34]Israel Security Agency database: Operation “Pillar of Defense”. Tel-Aviv, Israel: December 2012; Available at:. http://www. shabak.gov.il/heritage/affairs/Pages/OperationPillarofDefense.aspx webcite
• [35]Rüstemli A, Karanci N. Correlates of earthquake cognitions and preparedness behavior in a victimized population. J Soc Psychol. 1999; 139(1):91-101.
• [36]Mileti DS, Fitzpatrick C. The causal sequence of risk communication in the parkfield earthquake prediction experiment. Risk Anal. 1992; 12:393-400.
• [37]Mileti DS, Darlington JD. The role of searching in shaping reactions to earthquake risk information. Soc Probl. 1997; 44:89-103.
• [38]U.S. Federal Emergency Management Authority. Personal Preparedness in America: Findings from the 2012 FEMA National Survey. Washington, DC: July 2013; Available at:. http://www. fema.gov/media-library-data/1409146548070-7c8016a9a41b65b2c584ffacdbe4f920/2012_FEMA_National_Survey_Report_FINAL_508_v11.pdf webcite