Annual of social work, Vol. 24 No. 2, 2017.
Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.3935/ljsr.v24i2.185
FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY: PARENTS PERSPECTIVE
Olja Družić Ljubotina
orcid.org/0000-0003-4298-0409
; Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Teodor Sabolić
; Social Welfare Center Varaždin, Varaždin, Croatia
Marijana Kletečki Radović
orcid.org/0000-0001-7647-8076
; Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a of qualitative research that was conducted as part of a project entitled »Indicators of child well-being and poverty in Croatia at the time of crisis: How to break the vicious circle of child poverty?« by a research team from the Social Work Study Centre at the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb, with the financial support of the ADRIS Foundation. The aim of the research was to gain insight into the perspective and opinion of the parents of children/youth concerning the effects of the economic crisis on the well-being and quality of life of children and their families and, specifically, the possibility of mitigating the effects of poverty on children. Two focus groups were organised that consisted of a total of 14 parents of secondary-school students from families that exercise the right to guaranteed minimum remuneration. The results show that the economic crisis had a deleterious effect on various aspects of the quality of life of families and on the well-being of children. It is shown that the life of material scarcity has led to the inability to satisfy one’s basic living needs, problems in settling the costs of education, dilapidated family relations, development of various strategies for facing poverty, etc. From the aspect of children’s well-being, the dimension of dissatisfaction and emotional vulnerability of poor children, problems in peer relations, inaccessibility of information, etc., was particularly prominent. Parents view employment as the key protective factor against poverty and emphasize the importance of support and a higher level of sensibility on the part of experts who come into contact with poor families and children. This study highlights differences in current life and opportunities available to poor families with children in better off and poorer communities that should be taking in consideration when planing future research.
Keywords
poverty; children; parents; well-being; resources of local communities
Hrčak ID:
192738
URI
Publication date:
22.1.2018.
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