An investigation into the emotional experiences of orphaned children
The study focused on the emotional experiences of orphaned children. Attention was given to the long term emotional cost of children who might grow up lacking the attachment figures’ love and guidance. Previously, concern was for material and educational needs of orphaned children. Now there is a need to couple this concern with an awareness of their psychological needs. Children whose parents are deceased often experience a number of negative changes in their lives and are often likely to start suffering from factors such as emotional neglect and rejection from their extended family members. Qualitative research design was employed in this study. Convenience sampling method was used to recruit eight orphans. Data was collected via semi- structured interviews and thematic analysis was used. It was found that children who were orphaned experience different kinds of emotions challenges such as: sadness, anxiety, feelings of rejection and abandonment. The study’ findings recommended that when placing children after the passing away of a parent or parents, they should be placed with caregivers who are still capable of taking care of the orphan’s diverse needs. It was also found, that although orphaned children were still young, consulting them about decisions or issues that affect their lives, lessens the anxiety and the feeling of being hopeless.
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