‘We will fix the environment’: a qualitative exploration of children’s knowledge and emotional responses to the environmental crisis

Abstract

Research has demonstrated the psychological burden of the environmental crisis in adolescents, but few studies have considered the impact on children. This study explored children’s knowledge of, and emotional responses to the environmental crisis. The study additionally examined whether children’s emotional responses were multidimensional, and whether they comprised affective, behavioural, and cognitive dimensions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 Australian children aged between nine and 12 years old. Open-ended questions explored children’s knowledge, feelings, thoughts, and behaviours about the environmental crisis. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes were extracted: 1) Awareness of multiple environmental problems, 2) Affective responses to the environmental crisis, 3) Behaviors associated with affective responses to the environmental crisis, and 4) Cognitions about the environmental crisis. The findings demonstrated that children have a breadth of accurate knowledge about the environmental crisis and experience a range of emotional responses. Furthermore, this study provided preliminary evidence that children’s emotional responses are multidimensional, comprising affective, behavioural and cognitive dimensions. The findings suggest a need to support children in developing effective coping mechanisms, and for more comprehensive school-based environmental education, to promote adaptive feelings, thoughts and behaviours for children growing up in an era of a degrading environment.