When Children Lead in Crisis: What the Pandemic Revealed About Young People, Empathy, and the Future of Disaster Literacy

About this episode

The episode explores how children emerged as proactive helpers during the COVID-19 pandemic, challenging the narrative of their vulnerability.

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a familiar narrative took hold across the world. Children, it was often said, were among the most vulnerable. Their schools closed, their routines vanished, and their social worlds shrank overnight. Yet beneath this narrative, another quieter story unfolded, one that challenges how we think about children in times of crisis. Instead of remaining passive recipients of care, many young people stepped forward as helpers, problem-solvers, and advocates for others at risk of the deadly virus.

Topics covered

• children in crisis
• COVID-19
• empathy
• disaster literacy
• youth advocacy

Keywords

• children
• COVID-19
• empathy
• disaster literacy
• youth
• advocacy
• crisis

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