The Emotional experiences of children living in orphanages in Ghana
| Published date | 07 February 2020 |
| Date | 07 February 2020 |
| Pages | 15-24 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-10-2018-0027 |
| Author | Selina Boadu,Annabella Osei-Tutu,Joseph Osafo |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Children's services,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Children/youth,Parents,Education,Early childhood education,Home culture,Social/physical development |
The Emotional experiences of children
living in orphanages in Ghana
Selina Boadu, Annabella Osei-Tutu and Joseph Osafo
Abstract
Purpose –This studyaims to explore the emotional experiences of children in selectedorphanages.
Design/methodology/approach –The study was executed in three orphanages in Accra, Tema and
Aburi throughthe use of semi-structured interviewsand observations.
Findings –In total, 15 respondents reported some emotional experiences such as loneliness,
entrapment,deprivation, rejection and helplessness.
Originality/value –The number of childrenliving in orphanages has increased in recent times.Previous
studies have examinedpsychological risk and protective factors among childrenorphaned as a result of
HIV/AIDS and also comparedorphan children to non-orphans. Notwithstandingthis, little is known about
the emotionalexperiences of children living in orphanagesin Ghana.
Keywords Orphanages, Orphans, Vulnerable children, Emotionalexperiences, Children,
Orphanages, Children in orphanages, Emotional experiences
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
There are indications that some children in orphanages in Ghana experience horrendous
maltreatment. On February2, 2015, an undercover documentary dubbed “The devil and the
orphanage” by an investigative journalist, Aremeyaw (2015), graphically demonstrated this
(peacefmonline.com: 2015).
Recent estimates suggest that there are over one million orphans in Ghana, with about
4,500 of these children in orphanages (UNICEF, 2010). Although Ghana has initiated efforts
to de-institutionalize and reintegrate children into the community,orphanages remain a part
of the reality of caring for orphans and vulnerable children in the country (Frimpong-Manso
and Bugyei, 2018).
Children placed in orphanages experience a wide range of issues that have important
implications on their emotional experiences (Bettmann et al., 2015;Doku, 2009;Salifu
Yendork and Somhlaba, 2015). The children’s emotional life might be affected by several
factors such as struggling to cope with significant loss, poverty, hardship, poor
psychological functioning, stigma and discrimination, violence and economic exploitation
(UNICEF, 2003,2004,2006). Salifu Yendork and Somhlaba (2015) have observed that
children placed in orphanages report relationship problems with peers and use problem
management approaches that may not necessarily be effective. Other studies have
reported that some institutional caregivers lack the requisite knowledge needed to
understand the emotional needs of children in residential care (Bettmann et al.,2015).
However, what is lacking is an examination of the age-specific emotional needs of children
in residential care. Evidence from human development literature suggests that emotional
development follows different trajectories depending on age (Ahmed and Miller, 2011)and
notes that adolescence is a critical period in emotional development (Taylor et al., 2015).
Selina Boadu,
Annabella Osei-Tutu and
Joseph Osafo are all based
at the Department of
Psychology, University of
Ghana School of Social
Sciences, Accra, Ghana.
Received 30 October 2018
Revised 29 March 2019
23 July 2019
Accepted 19 December 2019
DOI 10.1108/JCS-10-2018-0027 VOL. 15 NO. 1 2020, pp. 15-24, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-6660 jJOURNAL OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES jPAGE 15
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