Structural Violence, Gender, and Post 9-11 Terrorism in Pakistan: Examining the Psychological Impact on the Parents of Army Public School attacks in Pakistan

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the gender – specific impact of post-9/11 terrorism acts in Pakistan, with a particular focus on the parents of the children killed in the terrorist attacks on Army Public School in Peshawar, in 2014. The paper dwells deep into exploring how the parents have been impacted and examines the many ways by which the victims have devised coping strategies in response to traumatic events. This study uses Galtung’s structural violence theory as a theoretical framework to examine the psychological impact on the parents, with structural violence in this context referring to post-9/11 terrorism acts in Pakistan. This study adopted a sequential exploratory design. By using a stratified random sampling technique, a total of 216 participants were selected, comprising 133 Direct Victims and 83 Indirect Victims. Data collection involved a mixed method approach - both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Primary data was collected through structured interviews and a standardized questionnaire called Lieber’s scale of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to measure the level of post-traumatic stress. Subsequent processing and tabulation followed by statistical examination to assess the psychological impact of post-9/11 terrorism in Peshawar. Finding indicates that the symptoms of PTSD were still evident among all participants even after nine years of terrorist attack. Participants who were directly exposed to trauma displayed more symptoms of psychological distress as compared to those who were indirectly exposed. The results also indicate a surprising and rather significant development in gender focused research with male parents exhibiting significantly high level of PTSD in comparison to women victims. Observations from the primary data showing men demonstrating higher level of PTSD, brings interesting propositions to gender research, where explorations around the social and psychological aspects of masculinity, and the multifaceted roles played by men around gender empowerment may prompt intriguing inquiries into gender research. Furthermore, it is recommended that future research must focus on factors that should not only identify the optimal timing for PTSD treatment, but also explore factors that can bring natural recovery. Moreover, the research also facilitates the policy recommendation for development work as well as those agencies including, the government, local and international aid organizations working in the areas affected by violence.