Features of the family image of homeless and neglected adolescents in a social shelter
Introduction. Fostering family values and the foundations of responsible parenthood is a key aspect of socializing adolescents in shelters; these elements serve as a basis for developing a positive attitude toward the family among children who, due to their family circumstances, have had negative experiences living with their birth families. A review of existing literature revealed a lack of research into the perceptions of family and family values held by homeless and neglected adolescents. The aim of the study: to study the characteristics of the family image held by homeless and neglected adolescents. Methodology and Methods. The study employed systemic and activity-based approaches to family issues and upbringing, alongside comprehensive and person-centered approaches to the upbringing of adolescents in residential institutions, to conduct an empirical analysis of the family image among homeless and neglected adolescents. The methods employed included the cross-sectional organizational method, psychodiagnostic techniques, and mathematical-statistical analysis. Psychodiagnostic tools included the “Family Is...” questionnaire (a modification of the Kuhn-McPartland test), the “Your Future Family” questionnaire (N.A. Kamneva), and the Semantic Differential scale (C. Osgood). Mathematical-statistical processing involved the Mann-Whitney U-test and factor analysis. Results. Four main groups of characteristics defining the family image were identified: imagery-based, emotional, functional, and formal. Among teenagers, the most pronounced indicators were related to the figurative and functional aspects of the family image. Formal characteristics showed the lowest levels of expression, indicating that the adolescents lacked a developed understanding of the family as a social institution. Adolescents from shelters scored below average across all categories of characteristics, with particularly low scores in the emotional and formal domains. The study identified specific characteristics of adolescents' attitudes toward issues related to the formation and functioning of their own future families − namely, intentions regarding starting a family, the anticipated age of marriage, plans for having children, the desired family structure, and the establishment and maintenance of family traditions. It also analyzed the adolescents' subjective attitudes toward their families of origin and the impact of those families on their emotional well-being. Conclusion. The findings indicate that the mental representation of the family among adolescent residents of social shelters is characterized by lower scores across all metrics, particularly those related to emotional and structural aspects. These adolescents underestimate the emotional significance of the family and maintain weak emotional bonds with their families and parents, which affects their fundamental trust in people in general. Their concept of the family lacks a strong sense of emotional significance; they undervalue family values and traditions and report low levels of satisfaction with parent-child relationships. They exhibit a distorted perception of the family's nature and functions, as well as a skewed vision of their own future families, leading to a reluctance to start a family or become parents.
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This article is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Belgorod National Research University and its long-standing tradition of researching the psychological and pedagogical mechanisms of personality development, advanced educational practices, and the integration of science, education, and upbringing.