Objectives: Many children who had witnessed violent and criminal events develop symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In this study the development of PTSD was assessed in primary school children who had witnessed the public hanging of a criminal.

Method: This descriptive study was carried out on 200 7-11years old students of a primary school who had witnessed the execution. For gathering the data, a PTSD checklist based on DSM-IV criteria as well as Child-PTSD-Reaction Index (CPTSD-RI) were filled through interviews with children’s parents three months after the event. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and c² test.

Results: Fifty two percent of subjects showed some symptoms of PTSD. Forty three percent, 31%, and 12% showed symptoms of reexperience, hyperarousal, and avoidance behavior respectively. The most prevalent symptoms were severely distressing and recurrent recollection of the event. The frequency of PTSD was 12%. The mean severity of symptoms according to CPTSD-RI was 39.1±3.7 (average to severe).

Conclusion: Witnessing execution can lead to the development of moderate to severe PTSD symptoms in children.