International Journal of Psychoanalysis and Education (Jun 2018)
Psychological distress of minors and difficulties for educators in some italian care center for minors: a qualitative survey
Abstract
The article presents the results of a qualitative survey conducted among coordinators and managers of 25 Care Centers for minors based in different parts of Italy with the aim of exploring the way educators contextualize the psychological distress of minors and assessing the main issues encountered in their educational practices. The survey was designed using qualitative methodology and the interviews conducted with the 25 respondents were recorded. Data was then analyzed following the Grounded Theory methodology and using a constructive reformulation approach.Respondents reported a high incidence of other-directed aggressive behaviors (in particular towards objects and/or furnishings) and an observed widespread difficulty among the minors to handle emotions and to comply with the Centers' rules.Moreover, respondents also reported social withdrawal behaviors among minors despite – in accordance with their observations – the fact that the incidence of these episodes was rare. In this regard, such episodes might well be under-reported because they are considered less striking and problematic as compared to others.Concerning the respondents, the interviews highlighted a common difficulty among educators in handling emotions activated by the relationship with the minors, with resulting problems in maintaining their role and safeguarding the educational setting in a functional manner.The survey also identified a common tendency among educators to avoid the use of theoretical explanatory models for minors’ psychological distress.The present research was used as a pilot baseline to support a further quantitative survey conducted in the second semester of 2017 in 1,574 Italian Care Centers for minors.
