Child-Centered Disaster Management

Abstract

Disasters occur due to natural and man-made causes at an unknown time and bring about physical, economic, and social losses. Disaster management plans are developed in order to be prepared before, during, and after a disaster. With a disaster management plan, the negative effects of disasters can be more rapidly overcome. Disaster management plans are aimed at minimizing loss of life. Current disaster management plans include consideration of children, but they are inadequate to meet children's needs. Many studies on this subject have been conducted and put into practice elsewhere in the world, but child-centered disaster management plans have been neither studied nor developed in Turkey. The objective of this study was to raise awareness about developing thorough child-centered disaster management plans and to serve as a guide for future studies.