ERIC Number: EJ1291267
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Mar
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2043-6106
EISSN: N/A
Fierce Flames: Evoking Wildfire Disaster Emotions through Children's Drawings
Ribeiro, Ana Sofia; Silva, Isabel
Global Studies of Childhood, v11 n1 p91-104 Mar 2021
In the aftermath of catastrophes, art based participatory research has proven to be a useful tool for evoking emotions and knowledge in affected children, as well as for informing risk education and recovery psychology practices. Framed by disaster risk reduction and environmental philosophy, this article analyses a sample of drawings produced by schoolchildren aged 6-10 years old affected by the wildfires of October 2017 in the central inland region of Portugal, obtained using a 'draw and write' technique. The children's narratives expressed concerns for their own safety and that of others, as well as concern for ecological damage. Emotional distress was also reported. The verbal statements accompanying the drawings helped the children to express their narratives carefully, allowing them to become active participants in their own process of thinking about the phenomena. We argue that children's drawings constitute a valuable methodology to access children's experiences after a disaster, as their visual richness reaches more than humans worlds. We recommend training for professionals, age-appropriate levels of informational support and a children's disaster intervention model.
Descriptors: Trauma, Emotional Response, Children, Freehand Drawing, Elementary School Students, Natural Disasters, Foreign Countries, Childrens Attitudes, Safety, Art, Participatory Research
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Portugal
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A