Date
7-2020
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
June Tyson
Keywords
Ambiguous Loss, Adolescence, Disenfranchised Grief, Foster Care, Parental Separation, Permanent Fostering
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences | Social Work
Recommended Citation
Geiser, Michelle Marie, "An Exploration of Adolescent Behaviors Following Permanent Parental Separation" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 2605.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2605
Abstract
Adolescent development relies on the integration of experiences to support positive youth outcomes. Supportive environments and social supports reduce dangerous risk-taking behaviors, which threaten healthy development. Findings from previous studies have underscored the critical role of attachment in maladaptive behaviors. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research study was to explore adolescent perceptions of the experience of permanent separation from parental guardians and the perceived impact on behavior. A key focus was on understand the meaning of parental loss through separation in youth by investigating the lived experiences and perceptions of adolescents in permanent foster care through the Department of Social Services (DSS). A phenomenological design was used to illuminate the complex phenomena of parental separation. An interpretive semistructured interview was used in this research. This research design allowed participants to explore and describe the phenomena they experienced.
