Attachment provision in the Saudi orphanages: Exploring the narratives of residential staff

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the accounts of 50 residential childcare staff in Saudi Arabia, aiming to identify ways in which staff and residential institutions may function as attachment objects for the children in their care. Rather than conducting a formal attachment assessment, a semi‐structured interview schedule was utilised, intending to generate novel insights into the child–carer relationship. Informed by attachment theory, thematic analysis suggested that keyworkers' narratives were organised around three conceptual dichotomies – social rejection versus social acceptance, distress versus containment and development of the self versus bonding. The accounts also indicated that staff and institutions might encounter significant challenges in providing emotional security to the orphans, challenges touching upon all three levels – individual, dyadic and collective.Key Practitioner Message: • The study identified main ways in which the orphanages and their staff facilitate or inhibit the formation of secure bonds between them and the children in their care; • The study highlights that attachment provision in those institutions should be explored at the individual, dyadic, organisational and sociocultural levels; • Change in care arrangements should address all these levels, with an emphasis on improving child and staff psychological well‐being, staff working conditions and staff training and education. Interventions should also challenge deeply rooted stigmatising attitudes.

The role of child‐keyworker attachment in burnout among Saudi residential staff

“…In addition, the constrained sociability of avoidant children may make it easier for residential workers to abide by their cultural prescriptions and keep the children at arm's length. Previous research suggests that Saudi workers experience ambivalence towards the orphans as they appear caught up between conflicting cultural and religious prescriptions (Sochos & Aljasas, in press). If children themselves do not seem willing to belong, workers' guilt, internal conflict, and ultimately burnout, may be reduced.…”

“…Previous research has shown that Saudi residential workers are ambivalent in their feelings towards the orphans (Sochos & Aljasas, in press). On one hand, they feel obliged to follow Islamic teachings and their own humanity and be compassionate with the children.…”

Classification Profile and Registration Status of Care Institutions of Orphans and Poor Children in Malaysia

“…The failure of unregistered orphanages will cause problems that will affect the development of orphanages (Mohammadzadeh, Awang, Ismail, Kadir Shahar, 2019;Frimpong, 2021). In addition, the lack of legal registration also contributes to the government's difficulty in monitoring the activities of orphanages in Terengganu and Malaysia as a whole (Campos & Alcoforado, 2018;Lyneham & Facchini, 2019;Sochos & Al -Jasas, 2020). This can lead to illegal activities such as begging activities (Harian Metro, 2019;Hasibuan et al, 2020).…”