Rural Children's Responses to the Flight 93 Crash on September 11, 2001

• Published in: Journal of rural mental health 2017-07, Vol.41 (3), p.176-188
• Main Authors: Kerr, Mary Margaret, Fried, Sara E., Price, Rebecca H., Cornick, Corey, Dugan, Sarah E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aircraft; Child Characteristics; Coping Behavior; Disasters; Empathy; Female; Gratitude; Human; Male; Responses; Rural Environments; Terrorism
• ISSN: 1935-942X; 2163-8969
• DOI: 10.1037/rmh0000072

Few researchers have the opportunity to study children's experiences in the days immediately following a disaster, especially in the case of terrorism. No investigations to date recount the experience of rural children on September 11, 2001. This paper describes recently discovered letters that 76 sixth graders in 2 nearby schools wrote days after terrorists crashed United Flight 93 into a field in rural Western Pennsylvania. Thematic coding revealed key themes in each set of letters. The letters from the school closest to the crash revealed children's recollections of the day, coping strategies, and community pride. Letters from the school further from the crash reflected children's gratitude and empathy for the recovery workers at the crash site, with fewer recollections of the day. Findings shed new light on the neglected issue of rural children's reactions to terrorism and suggest new methods to document their unique perspectives, interactions, and roles in the days immediately following a disaster. This paper highlights the need for research on children's letter writing in postdisaster situations.