108 11-12 yr old Palestinians were administered a traumatic events (TEs) checklist, a parenting style scale, and a political activity measure. Results show that the more the Ss were exposed to TEs, the more they perceived both their parents as strictly disciplining, rejecting, and hostile, and their mothers as more negatively evaluating. Males perceived both their parents as treating them more negatively than females. Affectionate parenting was not associated with TEs, and did not vary according to the child's gender or political activity. The gender of the S affected the association between TEs, political activity, and perceived parenting. TEs increased perceived parental rejection and hostility only among the males, and perceived strict disciplining only among the females. Although politically active Ss perceived both of their parents as more negative in general, in the families exposed to a high level of TEs, passive males perceived their fathers as more rejecting and hostile than active males did. Results suggest that mothers and fathers rear females restrictively and with greater attention, and boys with rejection, when the family faces TEs. Fathers also tend to discourage males' political passivity and apparently encourage activity.