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In this monograph the author has analyzed the large amount of material which has been written on the reaction of children to war and interprets the reports in terms of personality studies of normal children in the United States. Since many articles have been written by untrained observers and reflect personal prejudice rather than scientific facts, their conclusions are often conflicting.
In general, the reactions of children, both in the United States and abroad, reflect the security of parents and the home more than any other single factor. Children with anxieties before the war naturally display greater anxieties because of it. In other words, insecurities because of the war depend on the age of the child, his mental health before the war and the danger to which he is exposed; all of these reactions reflect the attitudes of parents and the home situation.