The School as a Source of Support for Katrina-Evacuated Youth

Abstract

When Hurricane Katrina hit, families were disrupted, and many children were left without the steady support of parents or immediate household relatives. This article describes a component of a comprehensive study of the structural, cultural and social conditions that allow youth to adjust to life after a catastrophic event. The purpose of this component of the research is to examine the success of adolescents in coping with the strains of post-Katrina relocation and to discover the sources of support on which they relied to facilitate the transition. In May 2006, 73 middle and high school students who had been evacuated to the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area completed a survey asking about their emotional and physical well-being as well as their new support networks. A comparison sample of non-Katrina students completed a similar survey. The findings indicate that many youth turned to school personnel and other significant adults to help them cope with this catastrophic event. Although the evacuated youth did not differ in many ways from their peers, they exhibited some negative symptoms. More importantly, those youths who built a positive relationship with their new school, and those who had garnered positive support from an adult—especially with their teachers—were managing better than those without a positive resource. The article concludes with implications for school-based policies to help distressed children.