SEMINAR: The role of youth, families and schools in community disaster preparedness and prevention

Until recently, the predominant focus of research in relation to children and disasters has been on children’s vulnerability and reactions to disasters during the Response and Recovery phases. Research focused on children’s preparation for hazardous events has a much shorter history. This presentation will summarise the research that has been done in this area, primarily over the past decade. It will focus on the role of hazards education programs and other preparedness and prevention efforts, and their effectiveness, in assisting children, families, and communities to be more prepared for hazardous events, both physically as well as psychologically. It will also focus on known “active ingredients” of preparedness programs for youth and families, including those that appear to enhance preparedness education delivery and effectiveness. Finally, and as a prelude perhaps to more comprehensive discussions following the presentation, it will aim to start a discussion on what is not yet known in this area, including areas that might enhance preparedness practices and those that need continuing research.