Herth K
School of Nursing, Mankato State University, Minnesota 56002-84, USA.
J Adv Nurs. 1998 Nov;28(5):1053-62. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1998.00813.x.
Children now constitute the largest segment of the homeless population. Multiple studies have identified the adverse effects of homelessness on children's health, development, academic success, and behaviour. Minimal literature exists that describes homeless children from the perspective of their strengths. The purpose of this study was to investigate the meaning of hope in homeless children and to identify strategies that children use in fostering and maintaining their hope. Using the technique of methodological triangulation (semi-structured interviews and drawings) the investigator collected data on a convenience sample of 60 homeless children (6 to 16 years old) currently residing in homeless shelters. Transcriptions of the audio-taped interviews were analysed following Colaizzi's method of analysis. Transcript statements were compared with the drawings. Five themes representing hope emerged from the data: connectedness, internal resources, cognitive strategies, energy, and hope objects. School age children drew story book tale characters, pre-adolescents drew real life situations, and adolescents drew future plans to represent their hopes. An understanding of hope from the perspective of homeless children could provide a basis upon which to develop interventions that engender hope and to develop programmes that build on the hopes that children had already developed.
儿童如今构成了无家可归人口的最大群体。多项研究已确定无家可归对儿童健康、发育、学业成就及行为产生的不利影响。从儿童自身优势角度描述无家可归儿童的文献极少。本研究旨在探究无家可归儿童希望的意义，并确定儿童用于培养和维持希望的策略。研究者采用方法三角测量法（半结构化访谈和绘图），对当前居住在收容所的60名无家可归儿童（6至16岁）的便利样本收集数据。录音访谈的文字记录按照科莱齐的分析方法进行分析。将文字记录陈述与绘图进行比较。数据中出现了代表希望的五个主题：联系、内在资源、认知策略、活力和希望之物。学龄儿童画故事书中的角色，青春期前儿童画现实生活场景，青少年画未来计划来展现他们的希望。从无家可归儿童的角度理解希望，可为制定激发希望的干预措施以及基于儿童已形成的希望开展相关项目提供依据。
