School Children's Risk Perceptions and Preparedness

We investigated the risk perceptions and preparedness in a sample of 440 Auckland area school children using a risk perceptions and preparedness-based survey. Children generally were aware of both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies related to a future hazard: findings indicated that children in this sample demonstrated reasonably accurate risk perceptions, a generalised awareness of essential risk mitigation protectiveness factors, and a moderate to strong belief in their ability to cope emotionally with future hazard.Importantly, various factors interrelated with one another. Children with more unrealistic risk perceptions were found to demonstrate increased hazard-related upset, a decreased belief in their ability to cope with a future hazard, and a reduced awareness of hazard-related protective behaviours compared to children with more realistic risk perceptions.

Perhaps more importantly, children involved in hazards education programmes demonstrated more stable risk perceptions, reduced hazard-related fears, and a much greater awareness of important hazard-related protective behaviours compared to children who reported not being involved in a hazards education programme.

In addition, children involved in two or more education programmes were significantly more aware of these protective behaviours than children involved in only one education programme.On the other hand, no differences were noted in home-based preparedness as a function of education. Implications and caveats are discussed.