Knowledge of children and youth about forest fires: Discrepancies between basic perception and reality

Forests have a vital role for all living things. Children understanding of forest phenomena is the important knowledge for various sectors such as educators, policymakers, environmentalists, etc. This paper deals with the factors that affect knowledge and perception of forest fires of students, aged 10 to 19, in the city of Belgrade. The research was conducted between October 20th, 2013 and February 3rd, 2014. The authors have used a method of surveying students in order to identify and describe the factors affecting their knowledge about forest fires. A total of 3,548 students from 18 schools in Belgrade participated in the survey. The results of the research show that there is a discrepancy between perception and reality that is what students think they know and what they actually know in very basic terms. This set of findings in combination with other findings of moderators replicates previous research on the need for educational programs to ensure there is a match between youth confidence about what they know of hazards and their actual knowledge levels. Mismatches between the two could have serious consequences in disaster risk reduction terms. Given basic knowledge gaps here, this translates into educational programming that then needs to take account of this basic discrepancy to ensure, even from the early ages, consistency between 'knowledge and coping confidence' and actual knowledge and ability to cope and respond.