Many people know that disasters can profoundly affect children. What is less known is the impact that youth can have in building disaster resilience. Youth are a major part of any community and, as such, they endure many of the same disaster repercussions that others experience. Rather than being held powerless, youth can and should contribute to community readiness, response, recovery, and resilience.
While youth vulnerability to disasters is well established, their involvement in readiness and response has received relatively little attention, even though youth who are informed and engaged are better able to protect themselves and others during a disaster. Those involved in disaster planning likely realize that children have special needs during such events, but they should be encouraged to see youth as potential resources that are there to help. The benefits of engaging youth before, during, and after disaster not only strengthen the community, but also have advantages for children and their families.