Back to Search
Start Over
'Different' and 'Devalued': Managing the Stigma of Foster-Care with the Benefit of Peer Support.
- Source :
- British Journal of Social Work; Jun2017, Vol. 47 Issue 4, p1078-1093, 16p
- Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- This paper presents findings from a study that explored the experiences of young people living in foster-care in the UK. Previous research highlights that children and young people in foster-care experience stigma. Qualitative methods were chosen to explore how the young people in this study experience and manage stigma in their day-to-day lives. Findings provide valuable insights into how the participants cope with the challenges of stigma. There were two key ways they did this: (i) by carefully managing the disclosure of their 'in-care' status and (ii) by drawing support from their social relationships. Furthermore, the participants particularly valued support from their peers who were also living in foster-care, as it enabled them to form an in-group, which presented them with a valuable sense of belonging. These findings have implications for practice and this paper proposes two ways to better support young people in foster-care to cope with stigma: first, by valuing the importance of friendship groups and enabling young people to maintain their existing friendships and, second, by developing more opportunities that bring fostered young people together, which enables them to interact with their peers without the pressure of managing stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- PSYCHOLOGICAL adaptation
CHILD welfare
EXPERIENCE
FOSTER children
FOSTER home care
FRIENDSHIP
INTERPERSONAL relations
INTERVIEWING
RESEARCH methodology
PHOTOGRAPHY
SOCIAL case work
SOCIAL networks
SOCIAL stigma
QUALITATIVE research
AFFINITY groups
JUDGMENT sampling
SOCIAL support
THEMATIC analysis
DATA analysis software
MEDICAL coding
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00453102
- Volume :
- 47
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- British Journal of Social Work
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 124305350
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcw063