Vécu de la perte d’objet et stratégie de résilience chez les enfants orphelins : une étude de cas

Abstract

Our work focuses on the experience of object loss and resilience strategy in orphaned children, based on the observation that the death of parents compromises the fulfillment of the child's basic needs such as access to health care, access to sufficient nutrition, etc. This loss of the invested and secure object, which is the parents, totally or partially deprives the child of his rights to live in a family setting and to be protected against violence, mistreatment, exploitation, stigmatization and discrimination. As a result, it is the whole of his world which is thus affected (his emotional balance, his psychic security, his mental development) and this manifesting by behaviors of self-protection, mistrust, a lack of confidence and sometimes aggressive as well as a feeling that annihilates it. From these observations we posed the problem of failure to develop resilience strategies in the experience of loss in an orphan. To explore it better, we used theoretical approaches to resilience that emphasize a set of behavioral skills, such as coping strategies that can be observed during or after the loss or of an ability to build, live and plan for the future, despite the losses the child is facing. We ask the following research question: How does the experience of object loss hamper the development of resilience strategies in the orphan? The answer to this question gave rise to the following general hypothesis: The objectified experience, the subjectified experience participates in the development of strategies of resilience in the orphan. Its operationalization gives rise to the following two specific hypotheses: HS1: the objectified experience of the loss contributes to the development of a resilience strategy for orphans. HS2: The subjective experience of loss contributes to the development of resilience strategy in orphans. To test them, we met 5 subjects at the Unique Direct orphanage, with whom we interviewed and passed a resilience test. The information collected is subject to a content analysis. The results we have achieved show that the subjective and objective experiences are determining factors in the adaptation of the individual in loss situation. Suggestions are made to those in charge of orphan reception structures in order to think about this segment of the vulnerable population for their full development and this through improving the care of orphaned children.