Perception and attitude towards natural and human-made risks in Portugal in a school context

Abstract

Perception is very important when analysing and managing risk as it is vital for better preparing the individual and society. The aims of this study are to: (i) find out about students’ perceptions of the spatial dimension of natural and environmental risks affecting mainland Portugal; (ii) understand how students perceive risks, taking causal attribution, level of knowledge, and future trends into account; (iii) relate students’ perceptions to behaviour, actions, and willingness to change attitudes to mitigating and reducing risks. In this study, a questionnaire was administered to 786 ninth year students between April and May 2022. Stepwise regression was applied to determine the factors that control the change in risk behaviour. The results of this study indicate levels of risk perception that are considered low to moderate. Female students tended to develop a greater sense of fear in the face of risk manifestations.