The image of the mother and the image of the father in the perception of adolescents staying in socialization-type care and educational institutions

Abstract

Introduction: When the family ceases to fulfill its roles, does not foster the development of its members, and all the attempts to make the family functional and integral are not effective, it becomes necessary to place the child in a foster care environment. The image of parents present in an orphanage pupil’s consciousness has a crucial meaning for his/her personal development since it plays an important role in regulating the individual’s relations with the world, as well as it influences the ways of how the work with the family should be conducted.

Purpose of research: The purpose of the undertaken research is to diagnose the image of mother and father in the perception of young people growing up in an orphanage.

Method: The research was based on the diagnostic survey method. In the research participated 67 orphanage pupils from the Lublin voivodship and 66 adolescents living in their own complete families.

Results: The ways social orphans perceive parents are less positive than those typical for adolescents living in their own families. Moreover, the ways young people perceive the parental attitudes of the father, as well as their own attitudes towards him, including the extent to which they accept him, are significantly less positive in the group of adolescents remaining in residential care.

Conclusions: There is a need for a professional diagnosis of the family image of an orphanage pupils, ensuring properly oriented educational and therapeutic work with  child and the family.