Lived Experiences Of Young People Research Articles

“It Started With a Nude”: Gangs & Technology-Facilitated Sexual Violence

This unique qualitative study updates current literature on gangs and sexual violence by incorporating digital practices. This study applies the framework of technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) which combines cyberstalking, coerced sexting, online sexual harassment, and sextortion, to the lived experience of young people in and around gangs in London. Findings are generated from a study that took place January–July 2015, which involved 240 young people taking part in 12 focus groups. Data is triangulated with content analysis of social media sites belonging to local gangs. Exploration of patriarchal and gendered practices that normalize sexual violence in gangs on and offline will be discussed. The link between gangs, TFSV, and criminal exploitation will also be established.

Trajectory, Perceived Causes and Efforts in Diabetes Self-management: A Qualitative Study Among Young People With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Caregivers

Introduction: Previous studies have suggested that young individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) face challenges in achieving optimal diabetes self-management, leading to difficulties in attaining the recommended glycaemic target. The reasons behind these suboptimal practices remain unclear due to the limited number of studies conducted in Malaysia that focused on diabetes self-management among young people. This qualitative study aimed to understand the lived experience of young people with T2DM on self-management in Malaysia. Methods: Young people at the age of 10 to 24 years, who had been diagnosed with T2DM and the caregivers who managing young people with T2DM were interviewed. Data were thematically analysed with the aid of QSR NVivo version 12. Results: Sixteen young informants and eleven caregivers participated in this study. Three major themes conceptualised the lived experience of diabetes self-management: (1) the trajectory to T2DM diagnosis; (2) perceived causes of T2DM; (3) the efforts in diabetes self-management. The route of diagnosis and experiential knowledge about T2DM might determine their efforts in the self-management among the young people. Healthy eating, medication taking and physical activity were perceived as important tasks in diabetes self-management. The involvement of the caregivers in diabetes self-management evolved over time. Conclusion: The study highlighted the experience of young people and caregivers since the beginning of the diagnosis and their strategies in diabetes self-management. More understanding of the lived experiences of patients and caregivers in disease management within the socio-ecological context could help to improve health-care services and intervention for this population.

“A game show at the end of the world” The currency of youth in UN climate summitry

ABSTRACT What do the lived experiences of young people tell us about the currency of youth in United Nations (UN) climate summitry, at a time in which youth is endowed with symbolic capital? Initially, self-representing as ‘youth’ in and around UN climate summits appears to open doors for young people, particularly since the creation of additional youth engagement mechanisms that followed the 2019 Fridays for Future protests. Based on four years of fieldwork, this article shows that youth can be both a limited and limiting currency in global climate politics. Indeed, the currency is finite, leading different youth groups to compete for speaking slots and visibility. Further, an increasing amount of young people have come to realize that youth is a limiting currency to advocate for environmental justice claims. These findings, which would not have been possible without an ethnographic and collaborative approach, contribute to existing calls challenging the ways that theory, research, and practice are oriented toward young people in climate politics.

“They had clothes on their back and they had food in their stomach, but they didn't have me”: The contribution of parental mental health problems, substance use, and domestic violence and abuse on young people and parents

BackgroundThe parental risk factors of mental health problems, substance use, and domestic violence and abuse each individually negatively impacts children's health and developmental outcomes. Few studies have considered the lived experience and support needs of parents and children in the real-world situation where these common risks cluster. ObjectiveThis study explores parents' and young people's lived experiences of the clustering of parental mental health problems, parental substance use, and domestic violence and abuse. MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 mothers, 6 fathers, and 7 young people with experiences of these parental risk factors. Transcribed interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. ResultsFour themes were developed, 1) cumulative adversity, 2) the impact of syndemic risk, 3) families navigating risk, and 4) family support. Parents and young people described family situations of stress wherein they experienced cumulative impact of multiple parental risk factors. Parents sought to navigate stressors and parent in positive ways under challenging conditions, often impeded by their own childhood trauma and diminished confidence. Parents and young people spoke of the need for, and benefits of having, support; both as a family and as individuals, to successfully address this trio of parental risks and the related impact. ConclusionsThis study highlights the high level of stress families experience and the efforts they go to mitigate risk. Services and interventions need to reflect the complexity of multiple needs and consider both the whole family and individuals when providing support.

The aftermath of gendered violence: Kinship and affect in post-genocide Rwanda

Thousands of women and girls experienced sexual violence during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, and many became pregnant as a result of rape. Based on two years of ethnographic research in Rwanda, this article discusses how kinship is (re-)established in the aftermath of sexual violence by focusing on the lived experiences of young people conceived in genocidal rape. The article explores what forms of relationships become possible, impossible, enabled or dismissed, in the aftermath of a period of extreme violence. Through detailing the delicate establishment of affective ties, I hope to show the subtle work that goes into containing genocide memories in the everyday. The article suggests that young people engage in careful and ‘attuned’ kinship practices in an environment that changes throughout their life course. In exploring how young people carefully navigate the mending, protecting, and accepting of ‘family’, the article emphasizes the possibilities and limitations of kinship in the aftermath of collective violence.

‘After a long period of being in hibernation – These little green shoots were growing’. Lived experiences of effective support for autistic young people who have experienced extended school nonattendance

AbstractExtended school nonattendance has been identified across previous literature as problematic for autistic pupils and prevalence rates are considerably higher for this cohort than their neurotypical peers. The neurodiversity paradigm calls for a shift towards qualitative and participatory research methodologies, which was identified as a suitable approach for the current study to understand autistic young people's lived experiences. This participatory inquiry adopted a flexible and reflective approach with two autistic adolescents who had extended school nonattendance and aimed to explore how Kas and Z experienced this and described effective support to meet their needs. Adolescents' perspectives were supported by three parental viewpoints. The participatory design allowed participants to identify key themes of effective support: a nuanced relationship with time; internal processes of control and motivation; relationships and safe environments; perspectives around their diagnosis of autism. A thematic map was developed to highlight the interaction between adolescents' perspectives and parental viewpoints and the superordinate, researcher‐identified theme of Understanding and Acceptance of Individual Lived Experience of Autism. The methodology and themes suggest considerations for professionals to develop practice to support autistic pupils who experience extended school nonattendance. Implications for future research are discussed.

Using young peoples’ lived experiences to explore definitional characteristics for cyberbullying

ABSTRACT Applying established definitions of bullying to the more recent phenomenon of cyberbullying often results in an ill-fitting definition which is contested by academics. There are particular difficulties when applying the well-documented facets of intentional harm, repetition and power imbalance to the context of online bullying. A contested definition presents challenges when comparing studies and for building theory. This qualitative study investigates defining characteristics of cyberbullying, drawing on the lived experiences of young people (aged 11–17 years) situated in the north west of England. Young people’s experiences point to a more nuanced experience with different characteristics incorporating: the intention to harm or humiliate; that the victim cannot escape from the activities perpetrated against them; an attempt to transfer power from the victim; and the perpetrator hides behind the screen.

Mirror meetings as a tool to enhance professionals' awareness of the lived experiences of young people with inflammatory bowel disease.

During mirror meetings, professionals were confronted with the experiences of young people (YP) with inflammatory bowel disease to encourage them to improve their transitional care arrangements. The mirror meetings were held under guidance of an independent moderator. YP conversed about their transition experiences, while health care providers listened without interfering. Meetings were audio-recorded and summarized. Qualitative thematic analysis was conducted. Thirty-two YP participated in six mirror meetings with 26 professionals from paediatric and adult care. Professionals received concrete suggestions for improving their transitional care arrangements. These were about holistic care, tailored to individual needs and preferences, attention for mental health and the role of parents and peers. Advice given by YP matched transitional care guidelines' recommendations. Mirror meetings are a powerful tool to enhance professionals' awareness of YP's needs.

‘These Made-Up Things Mean Nothing to Me’: Exploring the Intersection of Autism and Bisexuality in the Lives of Young People

This article explores the negotiation of autism and bisexuality in the lives of young people (16–25). Identity negotiation in this regard refers to the exploration of how the participants experienced the intersection of bisexuality and autism from a personal and a social perspective. To do this the article uses data collected from interviews and diaries to examine how the participants understood the intersection, how others perceived their identities and how the participants challenged constructions of sexuality. As a result, the article works to move beyond deficit focused research which aims to understand what is missing from an autistic persons’ make-up which results in LGBT + identities. In doing so, it is suggested that a more worthwhile focus is upon socially constructed categories such as sexuality which are more open to be challenged. Bisexuality is uniquely positioned as it challenges a number of preconceptions about sexuality and gender. When combined with being autistic, the lived experiences of young people demonstrate a challenge to sexuality based upon rejecting constructions which are seen as being fragile. Such imperfect labels, such as bisexuality, may be important in furthering our understanding of the intersection.

Factors That Influence Young Viewers in Choosing Famous Food on Social Media: Social Media Food Content

The objective of this study was to determine the factors influencing young viewers in choosing famous dishes on social networks. The objective of the study was to collect data on the life experiences of young people in the country. Through a series of analysis; frequency and descriptive analysis, useful information was obtained. Social media has had an impact on increasing the popularity of food. The type of social media and the type of post are also important factors in increasing the popularity of a food. The results of this study therefore suggest that young viewers agree that YouTube has the greatest influence on the type of social media used to increase the popularity of a dish, while viewing the dish selected by members is the same as the type of post that affects the popularity of a dish. Besides improving documentation, the results certainly have practical implications.

'No one else understands', 'I wouldn't want to pity myself over something that's not really my problem': siblings' experiences of their adolescent brothers and sisters' inpatient treatment for mental health difficulties.

Family life is disrupted when a child experiences mental health difficulties. This can have long-standing effects on sibling relationships. This study explores the lived experiences of young people who have an adolescent sibling hospitalised for treatment of a mental health difficulty. Semi-structured interviews of 45-60 min were conducted to explore the experiences of 10 siblings (6 sisters/4 brothers aged 13-22) of nine patients (5 sisters/4 brothers aged 15-17) receiving treatment for a mental health difficulty in a child and adolescent inpatient unit (IPU). Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data. Two superordinate themes were identified: 'Who am I if I'm not supporting them?' and 'On the fringes: actively involved but from the outside'. The interplay of these two super-ordinate themes was found to influence the five sub-ordinate themes: 'Confusion and disbelief', 'Don't worry about me, focus on them.', 'Powerless when I need to be powerful.', 'Helping or hindering- whatis this place??' and 'Knowledge is power.' Siblings described experiencing conflicting and confusing emotions which may impact their attendance in IPU and engagement in siblings' treatment. Siblings of adolescents in inpatient treatment for mental health difficulties may be at increased risk of experiencing psychological distress. The mental well-being of siblings must be borne in mind by child and adolescent inpatient services supporting families in crisis.

A qualitative study of young people's lived experiences of suicide and self-harm: intentionality, rationality and authenticity.

Suicide is a leading cause of death amongst young people and a major public health concern. Although increasing research has identified contributory and protective factors affecting youth suicide, less is known about how young people make sense of suicidal distress themselves. Using semi-structured interview methods and reflexive thematic analysis, this study explores how 24 young people aged 16-24 in Scotland, UK made sense of their lived experiences of suicidal thoughts and feelings, self-harm, and suicide attempts. Intentionality, rationality, and authenticity formed our central themes. Suicidal thoughts were categorised by participants dependent on their intention to act on them; a distinction often used to downplay the significance of early suicidal thoughts. Escalating suicidal feelings were then described as almost rational responses to adversities; whereas suicide attempts appeared to be described as more impulsive. These narratives seemed to be somewhat shaped by dismissive attitudes participants experienced in response to their suicidal distress, both from professionals and within their close networks. This impacted how participants articulated distress and asked for support. Suicidal thoughts that participants articulated as lacking the intention to act could represent key opportunities for early clinical intervention to prevent suicide. In contrast, stigma, difficulties communicating suicidal distress and dismissive attitudes could serve as barriers to seeking help, and, therefore, additional efforts should be made to ensure young people feel comfortable seeking help.

Languages and technologies in education at school and outside of school: Perspectives from young people in low-resource countries in Africa and Asia

Disadvantaged young people in low-resource countries are less likely to complete their education or to progress to higher levels, which means that their upward mobility can be severely constrained. Versatile technologies such as smartphones, when combined with an ability to use the English language, can facilitate access to learning resources, thereby helping to support young people's education where the school facilities and local teaching resources are often insufficient and may reinforce existing inequalities. However, technology access and usage vary, and linguistic or other barriers to effective engagement are multifaceted. To gain a deeper understanding of the role of languages and technologies, our research project collected first-hand accounts of the educational experiences of marginalized young people aged 13–15, their parents and teachers in harder-to-reach urban and rural settings, in four low-income countries in Africa and Asia. The research investigated perspectives on the English language and use of technology in education in school and outside of school. Our findings provide original insights into local cultures of technology use and English language use in the context of young people's lived experiences. The paper covers young people's use of English and attitudes toward English alongside other languages in their local settings, and how they are learning with mobile digital devices at school, at home, outdoors, and in the homes of relatives, friends and neighbors. Relationships between languages and technologies are discussed, as well as the sustainability of English- and technology-mediated education in the countries in question, which will have broader applicability in other low-resource settings.

Lived experience of young people with epilepsy in Bahir Dar city government hospitals, Ethiopia, a qualitative interview study.

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder, which is characterized by persistent derangement of the nervous system due to an abrupt excessive discharge of the group of neurons from the cerebrum. For developing young people with epilepsy coping with the challenges of living with epilepsy and adjusting normative tasks associated with adolescence is stressful in all domains of the lives of young people with epilepsy. But in Ethiopia, published literature regarding the lived experience of young people with epilepsy is lacking. This study aims to explore lived experience of young people with epilepsy. A qualitative interview study was conducted in Bahir Dar city government specialized and referral Hospitals, from February to April, 2021. Using the rule of saturation, a total of 11 study participants (age 12-24) were selected using hetrogenious types of purposive sampling technique. The data were collected through semi structured interviews technique with the aid of audio recorder. Semi-structured interview guide and observation checklist for care context in health facilities were used. The collected data was transcribed word by word and translated conceptually. The Data were analyzed using thematic approach. The credibility, dependability, Conformability and transferability of the study were assured using different techniques such as peer debriefing, member checking; audit Trail, thick description and purposeful sampling. Atlas- ti version7 software was used to facilitate data analysis. The participants' narratives revealed two main themes: 'experiences due epilepsy' and 'coping strategies to wards epilepsy'. Experience due to epilepsy' was described by young people with epilepsy in terms of psychosocial, physical, economical and health care related experiences. They described coping strategies towards epilepsy in terms of finding support from family and society as well as religious institutions and other traditions as copping strategy. Even though young people with epilepsy had suffered a lot of hurtful experiences, they reported coping strategies towards epilepsy that include support from various sources. These types of findings have implications for social work interventions for young people living with epilepsy.

Young people lived experience of parental divorce with an emphasis on educational consequences

Background and Aim: Divorce has adverse effects on children and can have adverse effects on their mental and physical health. Also, divorce has negative effects on children's education. Based on this, the aim of the present study was to investigate the lived experience of young people from their parents' divorce, emphasizing the educational consequences. Methods: The present research method was qualitative with thematic analysis and applied in terms of purpose. The participants included high school students of Kurdish city in the academic year of 2022, who were selected purposefully. Some of the criteria for their selection were the experience of parental divorce and the desire to participate in the research. Also, the interviews were continued up to 14 cases based on the theoretical saturation criterion. For validity, face validity was used and for reliability, the agreement coefficient between coders was used, and the result of recoding was 0.86. For data analysis, manual coding method was used in the form of open, axial and selective coding. Results: The findings showed that 162 open codes, 13 core themes include: taunting by peers, blaming family, stigma of school environment, shame of divorce, family instability, children's cold heart, emotional void, reluctance to study, excessive study fatigue, drop in academic mentality, Change in academic priority, academic aspirations, lack of morale and vitality, weak self-confidence, increased isolationism and increased introversion and 6 optional themes including: social stigma, cultural challenges, emotional challenges, poor education, academic conflict and psychological consequences for the lived experience of young people. Parental divorce was identified with an emphasis on educational outcomes. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that divorce creates different and negative challenges for children and their education, which cultural and educational planners of the country can reduce the negative effects of these effects by empowering them.

Growing up in a never-ending crisis

Over the past two decades, young people have faced increasing social and economic instability. Before the world had fully recovered from the tremendous effects of the global financial crisis of 2007-08, it was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the effects of such crises being felt unevenly, what are the implications of these challenging times for the educational and professional aspirations of young people in vulnerable situations? To investigate, this paper draws on the lived experiences of young people (15-24 years old) in Portugal, ranging from early leavers from education and training to students currently enrolled both in mainstream schools and other educational institutions. The qualitative data used are drawn from two distinct research projects. By combining these two data sets, we have expanded our understanding of the impact of these crises on young people’s aspirations and educational trajectories. The findings indicate that, within the framework of successive economic, political and social crises, pre-existing situations of social vulnerability tend to intensify and may lead to disengagement from school, and even dropping out. Often, the need to help support their families leads many young people to enter a competitive and highly precarious labour market. This article renders visible the impact that structural and systemic factors – intrinsically linked to issues of inequality and social injustice – can have on the educational aspirations and trajectories of young people in a society in which ‘being in crisis’ has somehow become the new norm.

Enabling successful life engagement in young people with ADHD: new components beyond adult models of recovery

Purpose To examine the lived experiences of young people successfully managing life with ADHD and investigate the applicability of adult models of Recovery to these individuals. Methods Twenty-seven young people aged 15–31 years participated in qualitative interviews. Participants’ success was indicated by employment, school attendance, absence of acute mental health episodes, or absence of chronic alcohol or drug use. Thematic analysis identified specific components of their life successes and challenges. Results The emergent framework comprised four elements: (i) Recovernance (RE) (a portmanteau merging ‘Recovery’ and ‘Maintenance’; ongoing adjustment to maintain one’s personal best without an end point); (ii) Personal Optimization (PO) (continuously striving to maximize function and adjust one’s goals given fluctuating impairments and internal resources); (iii) Self (S) (facing internal challenges and developing internal resilience); and (iv) Environment (E) (facing external challenges and fostering external resilience). These four elements yielded the acronym ‘REPOSE’. Conclusions Recovery in young people with ADHD was not a linear journey, with many missteps leading to greater self-knowledge, life skills and mastery. Progress was leveraged on securely anchored internal and external resilience factors against the prospect of setbacks. Findings provide new concepts and novel lexicons to extend existing concepts in Recovery. Implications for rehabilitation Counselling and therapy for young people with ADHD should foster self-understanding, goal setting and self-vigilance as an ongoing process to build their capacity to tackle setbacks and adversities. Counselling and therapy for young people with ADHD focus on a strengths-based approach building internal and external resources, such as developing skills and establishing social connections that build infrastructure in the environment for meaningful participation.

Promoting the independent mobility of young people with SEND: The lived experience of young people with autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities

IntroductionYoung people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at heightened risk of road traffic injury and their caregivers are often concerned about independent mobility and the safety risks it poses. This qualitative research aimed to increase understanding of the facilitators and barriers to independent mobility for 7–10 and 11-13 year-olds with SEND. MethodThirteen young people (11 male and two female, six children 7-10 years-old and seven children 11-13 years-old) diagnosed with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or learning disabilities video recorded three journeys they regularly undertook and then participated in a semi-structured interview with their caregiver. A thematic analysis of travel films and interview transcripts was conducted. ResultsYounger children were typically not travelling independently, but both older and younger children were anxious about independent mobility. Younger and older children with SEND demonstrated unsafe behaviours in the road, had limited awareness at times of road safety, could become overwhelmed, and required longer to process information. ConclusionsThe findings informed recommendations for how to effectively support the independent mobility of young people with SEND. Children are often diagnosed with multiple conditions, and it is the profile rather than the specific diagnosis that impacts their road safety. Targeting specific behaviours rather than specific disorders may therefore be a more effective approach. Road safety was a central concern for caregivers, but it was one aspect of independent mobility and a broad focus on teaching independent mobility was preferable. Support with independent mobility and road safety should be provided by a range of people who come into contact with the young person and education may need repeating at key transition points.

Young people’s everyday pathways into drug harms in Shan State, Myanmar

In recent decades, youth drug use has become a cause of increasing concern across Asia and has inspired hardening drug control measures. However, consistently missing from drug narratives is a deeper engagement with young people themselves on why they use drugs and an understanding of the social, political, economic and cultural forces that shape their interactions with drugs. By engaging with the lived experiences of young people in the Myanmar city of Taunggyi, this paper offers new insights into the everyday pathways and practices through which systemic risk factors – poverty, large-scale local drug production and poor welfare provision – materialise into drug harms. This paper draws attention to three factors that shape these pathways: first, the role that drug-selling and drug consumption plays in the coping strategies that people deploy in an environment of economic hardship; second, the intersections between drug use and gendered conceptions of youth; and, third, the everyday institutional practices of local authorities. Exploring young people’s testimonies offers a grounded perspective for considering what can be done to reduce drug harms in a context where the structural determinants of drug risks are deeply entrenched and, in the context of post-coup Myanmar, likely to worsen.

"I sort of never felt like I should be worried about it or that I could be worried about it'" an interpretative phenomenological analysis of perceived barriers to disclosure by young people with coeliac disease.

There has been little research in the United Kingdom regarding young people's experiences of disclosure of psychological difficulties relating to coeliac disease (CD) to others, particularly healthcare professionals. This study sought to address this systematically with a focus on the lived experiences of young people with CD. This study aimed to gain insight into how paediatric gastroenterology services could improve the patient experience for those with CD and support the identification of patients who may benefit from further psychological support. This study used interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) of patient accounts. Seven young people with CD (aged 11-16years) were recruited from a UK hospital paediatric gastroenterology service. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and verbatim transcripts were analysed using IPA to explore young people's experiences of CD and why they might feel able or unable to disclose psychological difficulties associated with their condition to clinicians. Three superordinate themes were interpreted from the data. The first encapsulated experiences of adjusting to the diagnosis within a developmental context, including the role of adults in information provision and the importance of peer support. The second outlined experiences of managing perceived or actual stigma regarding others' perceptions of the condition and themselves. The third incorporated perceived barriers to disclosure relating to power, safety, and beliefs about the role of medical professionals. Findings highlight the importance of clinicians continually providing developmentally appropriate information to young people and actively breaking down barriers to disclosure through body language and the use of clear questions regarding emotional experiences.