Five Essential Elements of Crisis Intervention for Communities and Schools When Responding to Technological Disasters

Abstract

Technological disasters result from human error, negligence, or limitations in perceiving and reducing risk. They are a form of manmade disaster that exerts a devastating effect on impacted individuals, communities, and ecosystems. Because of their negative impacts, technological disasters often erode community connectedness, undermine adaptive coping strategies in victims, contribute to income and social capital loss, result in complicated legal proceedings that can forestall the provision of needed post-disaster resources, and make it difficult for victims to find meaning in their struggles and recover from disaster. However, 5 empirically supported intervention principles may help mitigate some of these negative effects. These include promoting a sense of safety among victims, calming and supporting fearful individuals, engendering a general sense of self-efficacy and collective efficacy, increasing feelings of connectedness, and inspiring hope in discouraged disaster victims. This article discusses the application of these principles, as well as specific ways that they can be applied to support the needs of children, families, schools, and communities impacted by technological disasters.

Keywords:

• Crisis response
• ecological disaster
• environmental psychology
• oil spill
• technological disaster

Notes

¹ For purposes of this article, school-based mental health professionals refers to educational, school, and clinical psychologists, school counselors, and social workers who provide psychological services to children and adolescents at school.