Communication With Children and Families About Disaster: Reviewing Multi-disciplinary Literature 2015-2017.

Area of Science:

• Disaster risk reduction
• Child psychology
• Communication strategies

Background:

• Children's understanding of natural hazards is impacted by urbanization and reliance on technology.
• Peer and community engagement are beneficial for children in disaster contexts.
• Family and sibling support are crucial for mitigating trauma in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify effective communication strategies for children and youth before and after disasters.
• To explore methods for enhancing child participation in disaster risk reduction.
• To review current communication approaches for children during emergencies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on child participation in disaster risk reduction.
• Survey of communication methods for children and youth.
• Analysis of evidence for psychological first aid and resilience-building.

Main Results:

• Youth can effectively engage in peer and community education regarding disaster issues.
• Psychological first aid approaches appear safe and evidence-based.
• Schools and parenting play vital roles in fostering resilience and understanding.
• Further evaluation evidence is required for optimal communication strategy development.

Conclusions:

• Empowering children in disaster risk reduction through communication and support is essential.
• Addressing the impact of urbanization on children's hazard perception is critical.
• Continued research is necessary to refine communication strategies for young populations in disaster preparedness and response.