Promoting Resilience

Summary

Schools have a special need to protect children and there are a range of safety measures including responding to warnings and crises, evacuation, sheltering in place, and family reunification. We have summarized key issues needing to be considered before and during the response. In considering these measures, it is clear that the effectiveness of response is clearly influenced by the advanced planning, and practice, process.

In turn, the effectiveness of the response will almost undoubtedly influence recovery. For example, ensuring safety sets the stage for a quicker return to normalcy and routine in school, in families, and in communities. In addition, schools provide appropriate settings to assist with recovery as they provide a natural grouping of young people who share life experiences. Conducting discussions at school also can give youth the message that school life continues despite disruptions caused by the hazard event.

At a local level, Anderson (1987) suggests that

most catastrophic events that strike communities should be given temporary precedence over the normal curriculum in order to help students understand the causes, consequences and recovery alternatives, as well as to allay whatever trauma, fear of recurrence, and general fear of isolation and helplessness that might accompany such an event (p. 230).

As expanded on in the next chapter, given a school’s multiple roles in a disaster, it is important to plan for their reopening as soon as possible and develop appropriate programs during the initial recovery stages taking into account the admonition of Anderson (1987).

Kirsten Finnis contributed to the authorship of this chapter.