Investigated the effects of the Gulf War on Kuwaiti children and youth. Ss were 30 children experiencing war-related traumatic events and 30 who did not experience or witness a war-related traumatic event. Data were obtained from the mother of each child when the children were 10-12 yrs old, after the liberation of Kuwait, and again 5 yrs later. Each mother completed a structured interview which included the Child Traumatic Reaction Index, developed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV) criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The data indicated a significant interaction effect observed by mothers according to the child's gender, experience of war traumatic events, and PTSD. Results are discussed in terms of the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, the necessity of early identification, and the difficulty associated with diagnosing PTSD in children.