Social Work - Theses
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ItemSupporting young people following the February 2009 Victorian bushfires: The views of professionals( 2015)The purpose of this research was to better understand professionals’ views of service and community support provided to young people following the February 2009 Victorian bushfires (‘the bushfires’). Currently there is little research focused specifically on young people and natural disasters. The aim of this research was to contribute to improved levels of support for young people in the event of any future natural disaster. Ten professionals were interviewed for the research project, all of whom had direct professional experience in supporting young people affected by the bushfires. The respondents provided their views on the main topic of the study – the service and community response to support young people following the bushfires. They also contributed to investigation of the secondary topic of the study, by discussing the problems with the response to young people following the bushfires. The findings highlight the importance of supporting young people’s family relationships and peer relationships. The study also concluded that services need a high level of creativity and flexibility when providing support to young people; external services entering a community for the first time should support existing community structures such as local schools, youth groups and community organisations. Many of the findings drawn from the study hold implications for future practice and future research in natural disasters. As natural disasters are increasing in frequency globally, young people and their communities will continue to be significantly affected and the need for this type of research will also increase.