Vulnerabilities in the face of the health crisis: the impact of COVID-19 on the educational experiences of girls and adolescents in situations of neglect

Abstract

This article is the result of a research process within the Resistiré project, which evaluates the responses to the COVID crisis in social policy processes in several European countries. This study has taken into account the experience of girls and adolescents in situations of neglect in the circumstances that have surrounded their educational processes and their academic reality in the COVID period. Situations of neglect in childhood are those that affect the normal personal, social and material development of minors, generating situations of high vulnerability that imply the need to activate alternative protection measures that guarantee the subjective right of every child and adolescent. Thought should be given to the special relevance that the health crisis has had on the reality of these girls and adolescents whose legal guardians —affected by particular life situations— have been able to suffer in an aggravated manner in the face of a reality that previously constituted a highly vulnerable situation. The article focuses on the reality of girls and adolescents in the Basque Country (Spain). For this purpose, and through the access to their narratives, the particularity of their vital conditions is identified, showing their high resilient capacity, as well as the difficulties, alternatives and capacities developed to face adversity.

Keywords

• girls
• adolescents
• neglect
• health crisis
• education