CHILDRENS AND ADOLESCENTS RESPONSE TO THE PROSPECT OF NUCLEAR-WAR - AREVIEW

A review of research examining the response of children and adolescent s to the potential of nuclear war is presented. The dearth of research studying young children is discussed and the large body of research f ocusing on adolescents is reviewed, utilising the following major cate gories: (a) the early studies of the response to nuclear war; (b) know ledge of nuclear developments; (c) effect of knowledge on fear about n uclear war; (d) fears/worries about the threat of nuclear war; and (e) the effect of fear about nuclear war. Finally, the few studies which have examined the response to the threat of nuclear war within the fam ily context are reviewed. In the final section of the paper, a critiqu e of the existing research is presented, and recommendations for futur e research are offered, including methodological concerns and a theore tical approach to understanding the response to the threat of nuclear war.