Responses of children and adolescents to a fire in their homes

Interview data are used to examine the responses of 12 children, ages 6-17, who were survivors of 12 separate home fires in Philadelphia, PA: 66% of the families involved were single-parent families receiving public welfare. Nine categories concerning the fire experience & its aftermath were identified: exposure, loss, displacement, attribution, stress responses, changes in relationships, self-report of changes in behavior, child's perception of parent's stress, & child's view of adulthood & the future. Psychosocial themes that emerged included a sense of fear & blame, sleep disturbances, & a sense of vulnerability. Via a behavior rating scale, 50% of the parents rated their child's adjustment after the fire as "not normal." Children's reactions to larger-scale disasters are discussed, & implications for social work practice considered. 4 Tables, 32 References. Adapted from the source document.