Abstract:
Child labour experienced in childhood continues to have an enduring traumatic
effect into adulthood. The scars it leaves can impact on personal lives, education,
employment, and long-term emotional and social lives. The traditional system of
studying survivors of either natural or man-made situation has focused heavily on
posttraumatic stress disorder and related conditions, and mental health treatment
of survivors. The goal of this study was to explore the coping process of adult
survivors of child labour, to gain insight into their period of transition and
moving on, and to contribute to the field of counselling psychology by
developing theoretical model and counselling guideline for practitioners. Using
grounded theory methodology, eleven participants and five significant others
from seven districts in the Central Region of Ghana recruited through the
snowball and theoretical sampling methods participated in the study and
described their process of coping with “lived” experiences of traumatic child
labour and survival through individual interviews and focus group discussions.
Data were coded using coding processes of grounded theory methodology with
inductive data analysis. Coping strategies such as personal resources and social
supports were identified as supports promoting coping and survival. A theoretical
model was developed for successful coping strategies and a counselling guideline
outlined for counsellors and survivors. The main findings were the untapped
resilience and strength of each survivor, the uniqueness of each of their stories,
and the reality that in spite of past traumatic child labour experiences fraught with
childhood abuse, survivors experienced traumatic growth though with some
psychological challenges such as aggression and fear. This study has positioned
child labour experiences within trauma studies and positive psychology. The central phenomenon of this process is “Moving On” from traumatic experiences
of child labour. Implications for theory, methodology and counselling, were
discussed and directions for future research delineated.
Description:
A Dissertation in the Department of Psychology and Education, Faculty of
Educational Studies, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, University of
Education, Winneba, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for award of Doctor
of Philosophy (Guidance and Counseling) Degree.
SEPTEMBER, 2015
