Children’s narratives about well-being in the face of difficult life experiences: Renegotiated self-understandings as turning points

Abstract

Children who experience family-related adversity have stories to tell about well-being in the face of difficulties. These stories provide knowledge about how children handle their experiences and make sense of themselves. This study aims to investigate children’s perspectives on experiences that have contributed to their well-being in the face of difficulties, with a specific focus on turning-point narratives. Twenty-two children (aged 6–17) were interviewed, on two occasions each, about themselves and their lives. The findings show that children emphasize protection, support, and knowledge as contributing to their well-being. Furthermore, the findings show that those who narrate turning points do so in relation to three interrelated aspects: identification, directedness, and self-relationship. In their telling, these children are engaged in the project of renegotiating their self-understanding. The core contribution of the study is the notion that a renegotiated self-understanding, in and of itself, may be an important part of children’s well-being. The findings have implications for social work practice because they suggest that children in difficult life situations may benefit from support that offers them a space to examine old ideas about identity and agency in relation to new ones.