| dc.description.abstract | Most of the literal history witnesses
that the institutional care is best only as the last
resort of child care due to adverse impacts
institutionalization causes on child’s life. Yet, it is
visible that the number of alternative care
providing institutions remain high in Sri Lanka. In
this backdrop, this study aimed at examining the
psycho-social experiences of Female Children
living under institutional care. The objectives were
understanding the conditions of the institutional
environment that impacts on the psycho-social
experiences and their consequences on female
children in particular. A sample of twenty females
between 13 -16 years and five of the care taking
staff were purposively selected from a female
children’s home located in the heart of an urban
area. Data collected through in-depth interviews
and observation were analyzed using narrative
analysis method. According to the findings, it was
evident that the institutional structure including
location, infrastructural facilities, institutional
procedure, need-response mechanism and nature
of social relationships within and out of the
institutions have resulted in a number of negative
psycho-social experiences of female children.
Emotional complications were mainly found to be
common in pervasiveness and variety in character.
Outbursts, withdrawal, reluctance to seek support
and loneliness are the most prevailing emotional
encounters of female children while lack of self regulation, maladjustment, poor social
interactions, poor attachments and conduct
problems along with low well-being and
disorganized life patterns are socially defied
experiences they face. A culture in which such
aggressive, emotionally reserved behaviours of
boys are normalized in terms of masculinity, such
behaviours in girls are strongly condemned. It
would lead them to face negative social responses
challenging their reintegration to society.
Therefore, while admiring progressive steps already taken in the institutional setting, the study posits that the female children under institutional care are in a dire need of a gender-sensitive professional intervention that would empower
them with a strength based resilient approach. | en_US |
