In master's thesis, I explored the insights and perspectives of children in the school environment, uncovering the suggestions and solutions for alleaviating the distress of chidlren who have experienced alcoholism in the family. On the other hand, I also examined the perspective of educational professionals, focusing on their pedagogical responses within the school setting, the experiences they encounter, and the knowledge they possess in this field. At the same tim, I investigated what further preventive measures professionals believe are needed when working with children who have experienced family alcoholism.
The theoretical part explains the professional aspects of alcoholism, its occurrence within families, its consequences, and how it affects the development of children and adolescents. I have introduced the research findings on the issue of family alcoholism and how it is addressed in schools. In the empirical part, I gained deeper insights into children’s ways of thinking about how they would personally support a peer dealing with family alcoholism. I was interested in the forms of help and support they were familiar with and what they would suggest in such cases. The discussion was initiated using a story about a boy living in a family affected by alcoholism. Later, I presented the findings from the children to educational professionals and explored their responses, experiences, and knowledge regarding family alcoholism. The thesis employs a qualitative research approach, utilizing a social story, group discussions, and semi-structured focus group interviews as research tools. The research involved three classes from three different primary schools, specifically third-grade students, their homeroom teachers, and school counselors.
The results indicate that children demonstrate a high level of empathy toward peers in distress and are capable of generating numerous ideas and suggestions for providing help. Their proposals often stem from their own experiences and forms of support they have tried themselves, frequently linking the search for help to institutional forms of support and assistance. The findings from discussions with educational professionals highlight their sensitivity and adaptability in addressing the distress of children from families with alcoholism.
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