‘Once you see what it does and what it can do, you want to stop it’: The role of children’s agency in dealing with the consequences of climate crisis

This article investigates agency in children and young people affected by the climate-induced natural disasters in recent years in Queensland, Australia to understand their role in processing and coping with these events. The narratives of participants were explored using semi-structured interviews with eight participants aged between six and fifteen; this paper focuses on participants of twelve and above. Children and young people have capabilities for positively handling the consequences of climate change – they may be able to co-produce narratives, solutions and ways forward with policy makers in order to find pathways to dealing with the effects of climate change, individual extreme weather events, and the emotional fallout inevitable from a traumatic, or potentially life-threatening experiences. While feelings of stress, anxiety and fear were expressed, children and young people stated that these negative psychological consequences can be mitigated by acts of agency; an understanding of the potential of natural disasters, and knowledge about how to plan to reduce the impact, so that they feel empowered and prepared to act when faced with future extreme weather events. There is, however, a systemic failure by policy makers in recognising children’s social competence in being able to understand climate issues and their causes as they remain powerless in an ‘adult world’. The data challenge the perpetuated discourse that associates children and young people with passivity and draws attention to the need to view them as insightful and invaluable active agents in a collective fight against climate crisis, and in their own stories.