Children's knowledge, cognitions and emotions surrounding natural disasters: An investigation of Year 5 students, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract

New Zealand schools have a responsibility to ensure that children are informed about potential natural disasters, and are prepared with protective strategies. The present study aimed to investigate children’s knowledge, cognitions, and emotions concerning natural disasters, with a particular focus on earthquakes and tsunami. Thirty Year-5 school students (aged 9-10 years) from the Wellington region of New Zealand participated in researcher-led focus groups. The children were generally well informed, demonstrating an understanding of causes, characteristics, and potential consequences of earthquakes and tsunami. Thoughts and expectations regarding natural hazards, earthquakes in particular, centred on the unpredictability of natural disasters and on the expectation that there would be significant earthquakes in their region in the future. However, the children demonstrated assurance that the school and family were prepared with emergency supplies, and that they themselves and their families knew strategies for keeping safe in a disaster event. The children discussed these reassurances as a factor in reducing their fear of disasters, fear being the predominant negative emotion discussed by the children. The children indicated that learning at school had contributed to discussions with friends and family, this finding suggesting that disaster education at school is a critical component of children’s education and that this education has a flow-on effect at home and in the wider community.