Recognizing Vulnerability and Capacity: Federal Initiatives Focused on Children and Youth Across the Disaster Lifecycle

Agents of Change in Bushfire Recovery: Young People's Acts of Citizenship in a Youth-Focused, Animal-Welfare and Environmental Program

“…The impact of disasters on children and young people has focused largely on addressing their vulnerability and mitigating emotional trauma [12]. As a result, bushfire preparedness for children and young people has tended to focus on 'personal preparedness (as opposed to collective empowerment) and emergency planning and response (as opposed to the entire emergency management lifecycle)' [13]; p. 80).…”

“…Yet, they are often excluded from community initiatives or community level disaster planning and preparation. There is a need to create 'formal structures of opportunity that engage children and youth in designing their own paths to risk reduction' [13]; p. 83.…”

“…At the beginning of the 21st century there has been a significant shift to adopt a 'more people-centred preventative approach to disaster risk' [19]. The shift has driven international calls for young people to be more actively involved and become 'agents of change' in disaster management, with interventions, programs and approaches that enable them to take an active role in risk mitigation and reducing their own vulnerability [13,17,19]. There are major determinants that sit around children and young people's role in disasters, including the resilience of 'families, schools, communities and policy sectors' [20]; p. 1) but more evidence is needed.…”

“…Importantly, the shift does not replace the risk management that necessarily sits around children and young people but is designed to introduce a capability narrative alongside the vulnerability discourse. A capability narrative breaks down the barriers that constrain adults' capacity to acknowledge young people's skills, attributes and capabilities as agentic, informed and creative thinkers who are capable of constructive and active participation in disaster prevention, preparedness, response and recovery [13].…”

Joining the dots to reimagine community resilience: empowering young people

“…We are not alone. Researchers have long called for the skills, capabilities and capacities of young people to be recognised in emergency management (Mort, Rodriguez-Giralt & Delicado 2020;Peek 2008;Peek & Domingue 2020). These are arguments to complement the vulnerability discourse with a capability and empowerment discourse that acknowledges that engaging young people increases their resilience in disasters and 'contributes to increasing the resilience of families and entire communities' (Peek 2008, p.20).…”