Children Perspectives on Risk and Protection in Israel and Argentina

The second presentation will explore the perceptions of young boys and girls (3-6) on risk and protection in Israel and Argentina. Data were collected with methodology similar to the first presentation, using multi-child-friendly methods i.e., photography, children’s drawings and interviews and thematically analyzed.

The focus in this presentation is on the contexts of social class, culture, political conflict and crime.

We will compare Argentinian children from families living in impoverished neighborhood in Argentina with law middle class Ethiopian immigrants living in impoverished neighborhoods in Israel. Children describe the risks in their environment (e.g. poverty, violence, police brutality and stray dogs) and give us new insights to what makes them safe (e.g. Other children, shelters from bombs, God, saints, music, flowers and love). The complexity of their views challenges classical developmental theories regarding this age level. The results also reflect cultural and contextual elements such as political conflict in Israel and housing changes in Argentina. The results also challenge universal theories of risk and protection and their applicability for intervention with children and families from diverse cultural groups. This presentation will include discussion of methodological challenges to interviews with children and implications for practice.