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Psychology of Safety and Catastrophes

Type of study Follow-up Master
Language of instruction Czech
Code 060-0020/01
Abbreviation PBK-NTPO
Course title Psychology of Safety and Catastrophes
Credits 4
Coordinating department Department of Security Services
Course coordinator prof. PhDr. Hana Vykopalová, CSc.

Subject syllabus

1. Introduction to the issue. Basic concepts and their interpretation. Security Terminology. Security legislation.

2. Disaster medicine and emergency medicine. Terrorism and the protection of the population. EMS and emergency assistance.

3. Social behavior and social action, perception and assessment of the situation, verbal and non-verbal communication, attitudes, social groups and their meaning, communication and relational structures in social groups, basic laws of people's behavior in social groups.


4. Communication in stressful situations. Crisis communication. Specifics, purpose and meaning of crisis communication. Communication as prevention of conflict resolution.


5. Human behavior in a critical life situation
Psychology in rescue. Thematic exercises, floods and other disasters a
mass disaster. Manifestations of aggression, anxiety and fear, essence, causes.
Individual behavior, personality typology, group behavior, human behavior in a crowd.


6. Mental load and stress
Manifestations and effects of strain and stress. Methods of assessment of mental stress. Personality potential. Perception of short-term and long-term manifestations of strain and stress. Perception of life stress. Post-traumatic stress disorder, causes, symptoms, course. Psychotherapy of post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychosocial programs.

7. Specific threat situations
Abduction and hostage situations, other threatening and risky situations (assistance to victims
violence, intentional and unintentional damage to property, dealing with victims,
victims, terrorism,...).

8. Safety aspects of work psychology
Perception of working conditions and workload. Perception of short and long term
manifestations of strain and stress.

9. Assessment of neuropsychological stress at work. The importance of the technical and organizational environment for the work of a rescuer. Basic principles of paramedic psychohygiene. The importance of professionography.


10. AGGRESSION
Examples of aggression and aggressive behavior. Procedures aimed at aggression-aggressiveness, including signals of their recognition and the possibility of preventing this behavior. Practical comparative examples of the manifestation of aggression and aggressiveness and the possibility of their solution.

11. Crisis and continuity of crisis aid. Procedures, methods and techniques for solving crisis situations. Crisis intervention.

12. Humanitarian aid, humanitarian intervention and humanitarian law. Implementation of IHL. Effects and interpretation of IHL rules.

13. Anti-conflict teams, humanitarian units and other specialized units. Their importance and social utility. Claims and requirements for their professional level.

E-learning

Study supports for the source version of the subject

Literature

BOUKALOVÁ, Hedvika, GILLERNOVÁ, Ilona a kol.
Kapitoly z forenzní psychologie. Praha: Univerzita Karlova, Nakladatelství Karolinum, 2020.ISBN 978-80-246-4461-5. E-kniha i tištěná verze.


BREČKA, Tibor A. Psychologie katastrof: vybrané kapitoly. Praha:Triton, 2009. ISBN 978-80-7387-330-1. E-kniha, i tištěná verze

ŠPATENKOVÁ, Naděžda. Krize a krizová intervence. Praha: Grada, 2017. Psyché (Grada). ISBN 978-80-247-5327-0.E-kniha online i tištěná verze

ŠÍN, Robin. Medicína katastrof. Praha: Galén 2017. ISBN 978-80-7492-295-4. E-kniha i tištěná verze

VÝROST, J., SLAMĚNÍK, I., SOLLÁROVÁ, E. (EDS.): Sociální psychologie: teorie, metody, aplikace. Grana:Praha 2020. ISBN 978-80-247-5775-9. E-kniha online i tištěná verze

VÁGNEROVÁ, Marie. Psychopatologie pro pomáhající profese. Portál, EAN: EB928905. E-kniha, 2022

Advised literature

DAVIES, Graham M., Anthony R. BEECH & Melissa F. COLLOFF (eds.). Forensic Psychology: Crime, Justice, Law, Interventions. 4th ed. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell, 2024. ISBN 978-1-119-89200-7  (print); ISBN 978-1-119-89202-1  (e-book).

GRANHAG, Pär Anders (ed.). Forensic Psychology in Context: Nordic and International Approaches. Cullompton, Devon: Willan Publishing (Taylor & Francis Ltd), 2010.ISBN-13: 978-1-84392-828-7 
e-knniha i tištěná verze

VODÁČKOVÁ, Daniela a kol.Krizová intervence. Praha:Portál 2020,ISBN: 978‑80‑262‑0212‑7 / 978‑80‑262‑1704‑6, e-kniha i tištěná verze

NEIL, Thompson. Crisis Intervention. Taylor & Francis Rok: 2025. ISBN: 9781916925724 
Formát: e‑book i tištěná verze

VYMÉTAl, Štěpán. Krizová komunikace. Praha:Grada 2009. ISBN: 978‑80‑247‑2510‑9. 2-kniha online i tištěná verze