Study Skills of Children Living In Tsunami Affected Areas, Tamil Nadu, India

In December 2004, Tamil Nadu, massive underwater earthquake sent giant waves crashing into coastlines across Southern Asia. Children were hit hard by the tsunami. Families were left homeless and lost their livelihoods. Many children lost their parents or were separated from their families and their schools were destroyed. It is well recognized that the nature and extent of disaster can influence the psychological response of children. Acute traumatic events can produce disruptions in a child’s social or living and learning situation that generally cause psychological damaging and leading to changes in the study environment. It is not surprising that children react differently to natural disasters. In this study, the authors were interested in investigating the study skills of school children with special reference to children living in tsunami affected areas after 18 months of tsunami disaster. Active rehabilitation was taking place with inter-sectorial collaboration from different Government, including Health, Education, Social Welfare and National and International organizations. Special attention was given to psychosocial care for children and disaster preparedness among them.