Abstract:
The present study examines the impact of maltreatment among the Parentless School Going
Adolescents (PSGAs) and their psychosocial experiences in Northern Provence in Sri Lanka.
Prevalence of PSGAs’ exposure to maltreatment can be understood by considering the size of PSGAs
exposed and their experiences, how exposure impacts PSGAs psychosocial development, factors that
increase risk or provide protection against the negative effects of exposure, and the types of
interventions that can be implemented to mitigate harmful effects. Participants (PSGAs) were recruited
from two districts; namely Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu. Participants with recent experiences and had
psychosocial distress were included in the present study. 30 cases {[Female=18 (60%), Male=12
(40%)] and [Mean Age=14.7, SD=1.9]}, were recruited using purposive sampling techniques. An
exploratory was adopted and the semi structured interview was conducted as the present study aims to
have an in-depth understanding on various elements of maltreatment experiences. The questions were
mostly open-ended and were intended to be used as a guide to explore or capture as much as possible
the PSGAs’ thoughts and feelings about his/her experiences. Content analysis was used to identify
common themes related to the objective of the present study. Twenty-two cases (73.3%) were
maltreated by Care takers and their family members. The three most frequent types of relationships to
the PSGAs were grant parents (9 cases), uncle (6 cases), and aunty (2 cases). Others included cousin
(3), and brother-in-law (2). Maltreated by other people occurred in 21 cases (70 %). This included
neighbour (7 cases), total stranger (4), friend’s parents (4), friend (2), teacher (2), priest (1) and servant
(1). Many PSGAs were maltreated by more than one abuser. Maltreatment occurs on the background
of caretaker’s dysfunction and sociocultural factors. The findings underscore the need to support
caretakers so they can take better care of PSGAs. Psychosocial intervention should be individualized to
meet the needs of each PSGA. Further research is needed to clarify the issues of risk and protective
factors in the post-war context in Northern Provence.
