Influence rather than control: A new approach for disaster education in the immediate aftermath of a disaster

In this paper we suggested an alternative approach based on a decision flow chart that can be used to develop educational programmes in order to improve the adapting capacity of survivors to disaster and to consider them as a resource in response activities. 45 individuals were asked to fill a scored questionnaire before and after three different treatments (two educational programmes, one video) in order to assess and compare their effectiveness in influencing the survivors' behaviour. Results showed that the mean score of respondents trained using the new educational approach was significantly higher than the mean scores of the other groups and that the new approach succeeds in influencing their reaction to a disaster situation. This paper provides an evidence-based approach that may be used to improve the efficacy and the effectiveness of training and educational programmes in disaster management; instead of trying to control reactions, in fact, programmes should aim at enhancing survivors' adaptability in disasters.