IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v149y2023ics0190740923001172.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Re-orienting narratives of moral injury towards positive development: The experiences of emerging adults with child welfare histories

Author

Listed:
  • Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth
  • Haight, Wendy
  • Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C.
  • Cho, Minhae
  • Suleiman, Johara
  • Park, Sookyoung

Abstract

This paper is the second in a series of papers from a mixed methods study examining moral injury in childhood and adolescence as described by emerging adults with histories of child welfare involvement. This paper focuses on the ways emerging adultsmay alleviate their moral injury, grow and develop.Twenty -eight emerging adults (18–26 years) who reported exposure to morally injurious events during childhood or adolescence on a modified version of the Moral Injury Events Scale(MIES; Nash et al., 2013)participated in life story interviews. Life story analyses of psychosocial contexts considered resiliency, especially any re-orientation of participants’ narratives of moral injury away from the anomie, guilt, shame, and rage characteristic of moral injury, and towards themes such as hope, forgiveness, and gratitude. In addition, psychosocial-spiritual contexts that may support these shifts in meaning were explored through thematic analyses. Findings indicate that supportive relationships, especially with caring adults, engagement with spirituality, and access to prosocial activities provide foster youth with opportunities to re-orient their moral injury narratives, and provide a foundation on which to build towards recovery. Implications for policy, practice and research are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth & Haight, Wendy & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C. & Cho, Minhae & Suleiman, Johara & Park, Sookyoung, 2023. "Re-orienting narratives of moral injury towards positive development: The experiences of emerging adults with child welfare histories," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:149:y:2023:i:c:s0190740923001172
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106922
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740923001172
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106922?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth & Haight, Wendy & Jader, Bailey, 2020. "Parent mentoring relationships as a vehicle for reducing racial disparities: Experiences of child welfare-involved parents, mentors and professionals," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    2. Shook, Jeffrey J. & Goodkind, Sara & Herring, David & Pohlig, Ryan T. & Kolivoski, Karen & Kim, Kevin H., 2013. "How different are their experiences and outcomes? Comparing aged out and other child welfare involved youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 11-18.
    3. Haight, Wendy & Korang-Okrah, Rose & Black, James E. & Gibson, Priscilla & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C., 2020. "Moral injury among Akan women: Lessons for culturally sensitive child welfare interventions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Haight, Wendy & Sugrue, Erin P. & Calhoun, Molly, 2017. "Moral injury among Child Protection Professionals: Implications for the ethical treatment and retention of workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 27-41.
    5. Westbrook, Tonya M. & Ellett, Alberta J. & Asberg, Kia, 2012. "Predicting public child welfare employees' intentions to remain employed with the child welfare organizational culture inventory," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1214-1221.
    6. Thompson, Allison E. & Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Brunsink, Ashleigh M., 2016. "Natural mentoring among older youth in and aging out of foster care: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 40-50.
    7. Singer, Erin Rebecca & Berzin, Stephanie Cosner & Hokanson, Kim, 2013. "Voices of former foster youth: Supportive relationships in the transition to adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2110-2117.
    8. Haight, Wendy & Cho, Minhae & Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C. & Suleiman, Johara, 2022. "Moral injury experienced by emerging adults with child welfare histories in developmental and sociocultural contexts: “I knew the system was broken.”," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    9. Hass, Michael & Graydon, Kelly, 2009. "Sources of resiliency among successful foster youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 457-463, April.
    10. Colacchio Wesley, Bridget & Pryce, Julia & Barry, Johanna & Hong, Philip Young P., 2020. "Steadfast benevolence: A new framework for understanding important adult-youth relationships for adolescents in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    11. Haight, Wendy & Sugrue, Erin & Calhoun, Molly & Black, James, 2017. "“Basically, I look at it like combat”: Reflections on moral injury by parents involved with child protection services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 477-489.
    12. Gowdy, Grace & Hogan, Sean, 2021. "Informal mentoring among foster youth entering higher education," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    13. Kim, Hansung, 2011. "Job conditions, unmet expectations, and burnout in public child welfare workers: How different from other social workers?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 358-367, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Haight, Wendy & Cho, Minhae & Soffer-Elnekave, Ruth & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C. & Suleiman, Johara, 2022. "Moral injury experienced by emerging adults with child welfare histories in developmental and sociocultural contexts: “I knew the system was broken.”," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    2. Griffiths, Austin & Royse, David & Murphy, April & Jones, Olivia & Culver, Kalee & Turner, James & Smajlovic, Alma, 2023. "Exploratory factor analysis and reliability of the Child Welfare Employee Feedback Scale: Further revision (CWEFS-R)," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    3. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Kothari, Brianne H. & Miller, Rebecca A., 2023. "Intervention development to improve foster youth mental health by targeting coping self-efficacy and help-seeking," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    4. Gerber, Lucas A. & Guggenheim, Martin & Pang, Yuk C. & Ross, Timothy & Mayevskaya, Yana & Jacobs, Susan & Pecora, Peter J., 2020. "Understanding the effects of an interdisciplinary approach to parental representation in child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    5. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Best, Jared I., 2019. "Understanding support network capacity during the transition from foster care: Youth-identified barriers, facilitators, and enhancement strategies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 220-230.
    6. Boonzaaier, Emma & Truter, Elmien & Fouché, Ansie, 2021. "Occupational risk factors in child protection social work: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    7. Doucet, Melanie M. & Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Eldeeb, Nehal, 2022. "Independent living programs and services for youth 'aging out' of care in Canada and the U.S.: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    8. Duke, Taylor & Farruggia, Susan P. & Germo, Gary R., 2017. "“I don't know where I would be right now if it wasn't for them”: Emancipated foster care youth and their important non-parental adults," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 65-73.
    9. Gunawardena, Nathali & Stich, Christine, 2021. "Interventions for young people aging out of the child welfare system: A systematic literature review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    10. Paulsen, Veronika & Berg, Berit, 2016. "Social support and interdependency in transition to adulthood from child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 125-131.
    11. He, Amy S. & Lizano, Erica L. & Stahlschmidt, Mary Jo, 2021. "When doing the right thing feels wrong: Moral distress among child welfare caseworkers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    12. Haight, Wendy & Korang-Okrah, Rose & Black, James E. & Gibson, Priscilla & Nashandi, Ndilimeke J.C., 2020. "Moral injury among Akan women: Lessons for culturally sensitive child welfare interventions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    13. Okland, Idun & Oterholm, Inger, 2022. "Strengthening supportive networks for care leavers: A scoping review of social support interventions in child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    14. Williams-Butler, Abigail & Duron, Jacquelynn F. & Costantino, Amanda & Schmidt, Adam, 2020. "Relational permanence and the potential for delinquency among African American adolescents in foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    15. Refaeli, Tehila, 2017. "Narratives of care leavers: What promotes resilience in transitions to independent lives?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1-9.
    16. Bortnowska Hanna & Seiler Bartosz, 2019. "Formal mentoring in nonprofit organizations. Model proposition," Management, Sciendo, vol. 23(1), pages 188-208, June.
    17. Storer, Heather L. & Barkan, Susan E. & Stenhouse, Linnea L. & Eichenlaub, Caroline & Mallillin, Anastasia & Haggerty, Kevin P., 2014. "In search of connection: The foster youth and caregiver relationship," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 110-117.
    18. Power, Luke & Hardy, Mark, 2024. "Predictors of care leavers’ health outcomes: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    19. Hiles, Dominic & Moss, Duncan & Thorne, Lisa & Wright, John & Dallos, Rudi, 2014. "“So what am I?” — Multiple perspectives on young people's experience of leaving care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 1-15.
    20. Lohmeyer, Ben Arnold & Robert McGregor, Joel & Crittenden, Zoe & Hartung, Catherine, 2024. "Mentoring for care-experienced young people: A rapid review of program design," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:149:y:2023:i:c:s0190740923001172. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.