The lived experiences of resilience among Namibian children in middle childhood who have been exposed to parental divorce
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Date
2024
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
Divorce remains a primary contributor to family instability within Africa, hence,
increasing amounts of children are exposed to the impacts thereof. Given that the
family unit has been identified as central to the development and healthy adjustment
of children, the mere presence of its breakdown constitutes as a risk to the Namibian
youth. However, research shows that not all children react uniformly to the impact of
parental divorce and are able to thrive. Therefore, this study aimed to understand how
some children are capable of resilience amidst the risks associated with the exposure
to parental divorce. Consequently, this study focused primarily on identifying and
understanding positive factors that nurture the capacity for resilience, among children
aged 9-12 years, post parental divorce. A non-experimental, mixed-methods approach
with a multiple case-study design was employed to acquire comprehensive information
on the lived experiences of 24 children within middle childhood. Purposeful sampling
were used to ensure the assembly of relevant data required for this study. The Children
and Youth Resilience Measurement scale was administered to all 24 participants in
order to test each participant for resiliency. To eliminate some of the challenges
associated with gathering qualitative data from younger children, QMethodology, with
visual material, was utilised and administered to all 24 participants. The data of 12
participants were used for analysis who measured high on resiliency during the CYRM
scale administration. For data analysis, the PQ Method 2.35 software program, was
used to conduct by-person factor analysis. Four factors emerged from the analysis
process as statistically significant in fostering resilience, namely Quality Parent-Child
Relationships, Healthy School Attachment, Strong Community Attachment as well as
Effective Parent Conflict Resolution and Relationships. These results highlighted the
multisystemic nature of resilience, emphasising the importance of individual, familial
and environmental/community protective factors when considering resources which
nurture resilience within children exposed to parental divorce. Therefore, it becomes
critical for support to extend beyond the perimeters of the nuclear family and include
efforts to nurture stable relationships with extended family members, peer groups, the
school system and the wider community. Furthermore, among some methodological
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recommendations for future studies include exploring the complex dynamic and
resultant impact of siblings and stepparents on children’s capacity for resilience
Description
A mini thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology
Keywords
Parent conflict resolution, Parental divorce, University of Namibia, Namibia, Namibian children