During emergencies, firefighters may face challenges such as inappropriate victim responses, poor communication, and lack of needed information. Here we describe the multistep development of a questionnaire for firefighters to identify emergency-related human factors that may impair their professional performance and interfere with procedures during threatening events and evacuations. The resulting self-report questionnaire, titled the Behavior Security Culture–First Responder, comprises a battery of scales plus single questions designed for international use. We report the psychometric properties of the battery of scales and their application across 8 countries: Germany, UK, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Czech Republic, Turkey, and Italy. Exploratory factor analysis and multigroup confirmatory factor analysis were conducted with a total sample of 3,011 firefighters (97% male). Exploratory factor analysis revealed 6 unidimensional scales assessing various aspects of victim behavior, communication with others, and information availability and reliability. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses, with the 8 countries inserted as groups, confirmed configural and metric invariance, but not scalar invariance. Internal consistency estimates of the 6 scales ranged from α = .77 to .80. Divergent validity was established for all scales in all national samples. The collected data and the questionnaire may be used for developing training programs and to aid in directing resources efficiently.

Little intercultural research with standardised instruments has been conducted regarding survivors' responses (i.e. their emotions, cognitions and activities) to emergency situations. Based on results from focus groups, with survivors and experts, as well as a pre-test, a standardised psychological instrument was developed: the BeSeCu-S (Behaviour, Security, and Culture - Survivor). The BeSeCu-S is a questionnaire for people who have experienced an emergency situation where lives and property were threatened and evacuation from a structure was a valid option. It is subdivided into four main stages of such an event: Beginning, Realisation, Evacuation and Aftermath. A total of 1112 survivors from eight different countries and five different emergency situations took part in the field study. The results indicate that the questionnaire can enable researchers to analyse survivors' responses in relation to pre-, peri- and post-event factors (e.g. emergency knowledge, time to begin evacuating, injuries and post-traumatic stress symptoms). Additionally, analyses across different nationalities, event types and stages of an event appear possible.

OBJECTIVE:Firefighters frequently incur injuries while providing emergency services. Risk perception has been found to be associated with injury and safety behavior. This study examined risk perception of different emergency situations among firefighters. Along with risk perceptions, we investigated the role of practical experience, perceived training, tenure, and acute stress related to different emergency situations.PARTICIPANTS:Participants were a sample of 1324 firefighters from Germany and Italy.METHODS:A questionnaire was administered to participants on risk perceptions, practical experience, perceived training, tenure, and acute stress.RESULTS:The results showed that different levels of risk perception are related to different practical experience, acute stress reactions, and training. Higher risk perception was associated with higher perceived training, practical experience, and acute stress reactions. A significant difference was found between the German and the Italian sample in risk perceptions. More specifically the Italian sample perceived disasters (e.g., earthquakes) as more risky. Moreover, there were some differences in perceived training and practical experience about the different emergency situations, in the two samples.CONCLUSION:The results underline the importance of considering organizational factors in the prediction of risk perception among firefighters.

The Sport Commitment Model (SCM) is a recent model that explains which factors determine the involvement on sport or exercise practices. This model has been already validated in other countries in the physical exercise setting and in amateur and professional sport. The aim of our study was to validate this model also in the Italian context, particularly in masters swimming. Therefore we examined a sample of 523 masters swimmers and we studied the effect of some psychosocial determinants. Results permit to evidence the validity of the model also in the Italian context, and to support the importance of the sources considered in the original model and the relevance of social agents we considered.

This study investigates if perceived self-efficacy during an emergency situation has a protective role in the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms among Italian and Spanish survivors of several emergency situations. We explored the impact of self-efficacy in a multiple regression model including other predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms, such as emergency prevention knowledge; trust in emergency services; risk perception of becoming a victim of an emergency situation; and conscious and active behaviors in comparison with no conscious and no active behavior during the emergency. We carried out a retrospective study recruiting 214 participants who reported their experience as victims of one specific emergency event. Results showed that survivors who perceived themselves as more self-efficacious during the traumatic event had less posttraumatic stress symptoms. In contrast, female gender, more self-threat perception and higher trauma severity were associated with more symptoms. Findings contribute to better understand human behavior in emergency situations and evidence the protective role of perceived self-efficacy beliefs among survivors of emergency situations.

Lo scopo di questo studio è esplorare l’effetto di alcuni fattori psicosociali sul comportamento umano durante una situazione d’emergenza. In accordo con le osservazioni della teoria dell’Attaccamento Sociale nei disastri (Mawson 2005, 2007), le persone che si trovano in pericolo sperimentano sentimenti di attaccamento verso persone o luoghi familiari. Questi sentimenti hanno un effetto rassicurante, riducendo o ritardando i comportamenti di evacuazione. I partecipanti allo studio sono 173 superstiti di diverse situazioni d’emergenza, tra questi 42.4% sono uomini e 57.6% donne con un’età media di 32.52 anni (DS 13.68). I risultati hanno evidenziato un’associazione negativa tra l’essere con persone familiari e il ritardo nel cominciare l’evacuazione, mentre non è emersa una relazione significativa tra la presenza di persone familiari e l’essere nella propria casa durante l’emergenza e i comportamenti di evacuazione. I risultati hanno inoltre rilevato associazioni significative tra la risposta emotiva del partecipante e il luogo: i partecipanti che si trovavano nella propria abitazione durante la situazione di pericolo hanno sperimentato più sintomi di panico, maggior disagio e più elevata percezione di pericolo nei diversi momenti dell’emergenza, rispetto a coloro che erano in luoghi pubblici. Infine, la presenza di persone familiari influenza i livelli di distress alla fine dell’emergenza. Si discutono alcune implicazioni di questi risultati per migliorare i progetti di prevenzione ed educazione sul comportamento umano in emergenza e migliorare la preparazione dei cittadini.

The aim of this study was to investigate human behaviour during the 2012 Northern Italy Earthquakes. Furthermore, the current study used Kuligowski and Mileti’s (Fire Saf J 44:487–496, 2009 ) extended model and the Social Attachment Model as a framework to explain the behavioural responses. The study included 1839 participants who were affected by the earthquake occurred in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) on 20 May 2012. The most frequent behavioural responses during the earthquake were moving to another room of the house, escaping from home, and waiting in bed. According to Kuligowski and Mileti’s (Fire Saf J 44:487–496, 2009 ) extended model, perceived risk was associated with evacuation, and emergency preparedness was related to more efficient and effective responses during the earthquake. In line with the Social Attachment Model, affiliation behaviours were more frequent than flight behaviours, while, contrary to predictions, the social context did not influence emotional responses, evacuation behaviour, and search for protection.

We investigated the relation between posttraumatic growth and posttraumatic stress symptoms among survivors of fires, earthquakes, and floods. Furthermore, we explored the contribution of several predictors to these outcomes. Participants were 173 survivors of several events that have occurred in Italy in the last decade. Posttraumatic growth was positively related to posttraumatic avoidance and intrusion-hyperarousal symptoms. Multiple regression analyses revealed that peritraumatic panic was a predictor of posttraumatic intrusion-hyperarousal symptoms and posttraumatic growth. Moreover, posttraumatic intrusion-hyperarousal symptoms mediate the relationship between peritraumatic panic symptoms and posttraumatic growth. These results contribute to a better understanding of the role of intrusive thoughts in promoting posttraumatic growth.

Objective: The aim of this study was two-fold: to assess the level of knowledge of a sample of Spanish university students about child sexual abuse and to analyze the beliefs and myths that the university population has concerning this kind of maltreatment. Method: A random sample (n = 200) of students enrolled in Psychology were surveyed with a 21 items questionnaire. Results: The students stated that sexual abuse can occur at any age (61.3%) and in both sexes (58.8%). Besides, they place these acts within the family context (86.9%). However, just the 13% of the students have some knowledge about assessment methods of child sexual abuse and the majority of them do not know its criminal consequences (73.9%). If they had the certainty that an abuse has occurred, 98.5% would report it to the authorities; nevertheless, if they had just suspected it, an 81.3% of them would not report the alleged abuse. Conclusions: The results obtained show that the students surveyed had a good knowledge regarding child sexual abuse. However, there are still false beliefs which can impair the proper development of the profession.

In adolescent environments there are frequent occurrences of aggressive verbal and physical behaviour regarding homosexuality. In these situations young boys are motivated by a series of complex contributory factors such as difficulty in finding significant adults who are prepared to discuss sexuality; the growth and role of gender; group dynamics – how the perception that power over others is something that guarantees success and immediate social integration; the cultural and social dimension such as the legitimisation of hostility in institutional discourse. Homophobia in educational contexts can create a series of negative consequences not only for the victims, but also for the perpetrators who represent a challenge for teachers and educators. Various forms and examples of homophobia found in social discourse and adolescent behaviour are illustrated here and possible strategies for intervention are outlined along with proposals aimed at promoting respect for human diversity and mitigating contempt and dehumanisation.

INTRODUCTION:The present study, situated in the safety at work issue, is aimed to evaluate the risk perception and preventive behaviour (the use of individual protection devices) in the fire brigade work, with reference to the most typical risk for these workers: cylinder blast; fire and exhalation of toxic steam; road accidents; falls, cuts, contusions; stress and physical strain. To this end a psychosocial perspective is adopted and different dimensions of risk perception are considered.METHODS:Data were collected through a questionnaire filled in by 115 fire brigade workers and were statistically analysed to describe the risk perception about the different risks, to evaluate the relationship between the different dimensions of risk perception and to verify the variables that are more predictive of injuries.RESULTS:Cylinder blast is perceived as the most severe risk and participants report to be more exposed and trained to this specific risk in comparison with others. Falls, cuts, contusions as well as stress and fatigue are considered to be contributing factors of injuries. Participants with previous injuries are more likely to report to be exposed (r = .23; p < .05) and to be in danger (r = .22; p < .05) to occupational risks and to report less compliance with individual protective devices (r = .23; p < .05).CONCLUSIONS:Results show the relevance of promotion of safe-related behaviours among fire fighters and to take into account specific risk related to the job.