“That was the Last Time I Saw my House”: The Importance of Place Attachment among Children and Youth in Disaster Contexts

Abstract

Place attachment is important for children and youth's disaster preparedness, experiences, recovery, and resilience, but most of the literature on place and disasters has focused on adults. Drawing on the community disaster risk reduction, recovery, and resilience literature as well as the literature on normative place attachment, children and youth's place-relevant disaster experiences are examined. Prior to a disaster, place attachments are postulated to enhance children and youth's disaster preparedness contributions and reinforce their pre-disaster resilience. During a disaster, damage of, and displacement from, places of importance can create significant emotional distress among children and youth. Following a disaster, pre-existing as well as new place ties can aid in their recovery and bolster their resilience moving forward. This framework enriches current theories of disaster recovery, resilience, and place attachment, and sets an agenda for future research.

Catalyst or Barrier? The Influence of Place Attachment on Perceived Community Resilience in Tourism Destinations

“…Studies of community resilience focus on understanding the important role of the social dimension of the community system in promoting the system's adaptive capacity. Social factors of community resilience, such as social networks, trust, social capital, and place attachment, play a key role in a community system's ability to cope with stress and change [30,33,34].…”

Exploring the Meanings of Place Attachment Among Civically Engaged Puerto Rican Youth

“…Participants described a community’s social environment where youth are respected, feel valued, and have an opportunity to contribute to the common good. Participants discussed a similar construct, known as sense of belonging, as informing their place attachment (Scannell et al, 2016). A setting within the community, the CBO’s youth center, represented a physical place where youth interacted with their peers.…”

“…Compared with children who spend significant amounts of time at home, young people tend to widen their exploration of public places (e.g., movie theaters, youth centers, or communities; Whitlock, 2007). Also, during adolescence, individuals start building personal memories that are embedded in places, such as cities, schools, and communities (Scannell et al, 2016). There are inconsistent findings in the literature regarding potential sex-related differences in personal perceptions of communities.…”

“…Place attachment describes a bond or connection to a geographic area (e.g., community, city, or country) that develops over time through ongoing interactions (Scannell, Cox, Fletcher, & Heykoop, 2016). There is growing interest in exploring the role of attachment as a determinant of adult civic engagement, including participation in proenvironmental activities and a sense of commitment toward improving places of significance (De Dominicis, Fornara, Ganucci Cancellieri, Twigger-Ross, & Bonaiuto, 2015).…”

Why Does Disaster Recovery Work Influence Mental Health?: Pathways through Physical Health and Household Income

“…Future research could incorporate markers of job stability and specific traumatic experiences to test these hypotheses. Additional research could also include other factors that have been shown to promote postdisaster psychological resilience, including social support, place attachment, and community resources (Felix & Affifi, 2015; Norris, Stevens, Pfefferbaum, Wyche, & Pffeferbaum, 2008; Scannell, Cox, Fletcher, & Heykoop, 2016). …”