Family and social determinants of school maladjustment in students with emotional disturbances and behavioral disorders from recovery schools in Bulgaria.

This inquiry study is part of a comprehensive investigation on the organization and the effect of the education of students with emotional disturbances and behavioral disorders in special recovery schools. The aim for conducting the inquiry is to reveal the characteristics of the family and social background which may affect the school adaptation. The investigated group includes 254 students--192 with emotional disturbances and behavioral disorders and 62 healthy children of the same age from the settlements where the recovery schools are based. Two types of questionnaires developed by the team are used for investigating the students' family and social status--one designed for the pupils and one--for the teachers and supervisors in the schools. The inquiry for the students contains 15 questions revealing family and school environment (family relations and problems; number of children and sequential number of the problem child; parents' education and employment; school training and curriculum; social contacts in the school; school results). The inquiry, engaging the class teachers, day and night supervisors in recovery schools, contains 19 questions. There are additional questions concerning students' specific learning difficulties as well. The results made it clear that parents' divorce is the most unfavorable family determinant for school maladjustment of students with emotional disturbances and behavioral disorders. Many other factors such as the poor educational qualification and social-professional status of the parents, children number, the sequential number of the problematic child additionally impedes the relationship with the parents, thus increasing the risk of school failure and the manifestations of school maladjustment. The determined peculiarities of the family environment of students with emotional disturbances and behavioral disorders suggest targeted psychocorrective work of the school psychologist individually with the student as well as with his/her family.