Relationships of young adults with foster care backgrounds: Tensions and management strategies
Abstract
Abstract The present study focuses on experiences of relational tensions and management strategies in family relationships among 18 young adults with foster care backgrounds who participated in interviews. In the analysis drawing from relational dialectics, three main tensions were revealed in the participants' relationships with birth and foster family members or in their romantic relationships: the dialectics of emotional distance‐closeness, integration‐separation and sameness‐otherness. In addition, the tension of the childhood dialectic of responsibility was identified in this study. The tensions were managed utilizing eight strategies. The findings highlight the importance of giving a voice to young adults who have experienced the complex web of relationships in at least two families and of sensitizing both birth and foster parents and other adults working with foster children and youth to these tensions in relationships.
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To manage their experiences, parentified children developed numerous coping strategies, many of which were suboptimal by conventional standards but adaptive for their situation.
“To manage their experiences, parentified children developed numerous coping strategies, many of which were suboptimal by conventional standards but adaptive for their situation [25,30,32,35,37].”
From Parentification Vulnerability, Reactivity, Resilience, and Thriving: A Mixed Methods Systematic Literature Review (2023) · cites this paper as [37]
While some youth protected their parents by not sharing worrisome and stressful matters, some youth chose to emotionally distance themselves from mothers to avoid criticism and retraumatization.
“While some youth protected their parents by not sharing worrisome and stressful matters, some youth chose to emotionally distance themselves from mothers to avoid criticism and retraumitization [31,34,37]”
From Parentification Vulnerability, Reactivity, Resilience, and Thriving: A Mixed Methods Systematic Literature Review (2023) · cites this paper as [37]
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Dariotis, J. K., Chen, F. R., Park, Y. R., Nowak, M. K., French, K. M., & Codamon, A. M. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20136197 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
“To manage their experiences, parentified children developed numerous coping strategies, many of which were suboptimal by conventional standards but adaptive for their situation [25,30,32,35,37].”
Background
- Authors
- Tahkola, E., Metsäpelto, R., Ruohotie‐Lyhty, M., & Poikkeus, A.
- Affiliations
- University of Jyväskylä (FI)
- Corresponding author
- Tahkola, Elli‐Maria
- Venue
- Child & Family Social Work
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-12-08
- Volume
- 26
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 358-369
- ISSN
- 1356-7500 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2206
- OpenAlex
- W3112611086
- Cited by
- 8
- References
- 92
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1
- FWCI
- 1.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Child & Family Social Work (publishedVersion)
- Jyväskylä University Digital Archive (University of Jyväskylä) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Alli Paasikiven Säätiö
- Emil Aaltosen Säätiö
- Jyväskylän Yliopisto
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Social Sciences › Demography › Family Dynamics and Relationships
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Keywords
- foster care, young adults, family relationships, relational tensions, relational dialectics, romantic relationships, birth family, foster families, relationship management strategies
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