Differences in risk-awareness in young vs elderly citizens

Furthermore, there was a difference in opinions amongst practitioners, with some practitioners perceiving younger citizens as being more risk-aware than older citizens, who were seen as more fatalistic: “The culture of emergency is missing, not much in young people where we can see more of sensitiveness to this topic, but perhaps we are a bit fatalist by nature” (G6; R1 - see source document for full reference), whilst others felt that older citizens were actually more aware than younger ones: “Paradoxically, young people were as uninformed as elderly people” (G5; R7), “sharing with others the sense of danger and what it is necessary to do. I think that this attitude is more present in the elderly people” (G5; R3).

Cultural Factors: Worldviews, Age-related roles

Hazards: Natural hazards, Man-made non-intentional hazards or emergency situations, Man-made intentional hazards

Disaster Phases: Preparedness, Response

Types of Actors Concerned: National civil protection body, Local authorities, Healthcare and emergency services

Recommendations:

• Develop risk assessments methodologies, which consider cultural factors, the manner in which people cognitively process information and which employ a gender perspective