Lee, Jessica Nikola (2022-03). Fostering the Support and Development of Resilience in Children of Alcoholics in the School Setting. Doctoral Dissertation.
Thesis
Over the last century, the expected role of the classroom teacher has shifted dramatically. We have begun to move away from someone whose main purpose is to provide rote instruction to students, to a shift that educators are facilitators of learning that work to meet the needs of the whole child and not just their academic growth. An increased amount of contemporary research has yielded results that identify the urgency to support the social and emotional demands of students in addition to their intellectual abilities. Children who live in households with alcohol abuse face challenges and obstacles outside of school that necessitate a need for additional social and emotional support within the classroom. The purpose of this multiple case study was to analyze the lived experiences of six self-proclaimed adult children of alcoholics in order to learn ways in which to help support current children of alcoholics in the elementary school classroom. Six adult children of alcoholics were identified and participated in open-ended and semi structured interviews about their lived experiences. Each participant was asked thirteen pre-identified questions that covered three sections including the participant's childhood experiences outside of school, their school experiences, and their adult life. Notes were taken during the interviews and follow up questions were asked based participant answers. The interviews conversations were transcribed and later coded and analyzed for themes surrounding potential areas of support that could be provided within the confines of a classroom setting while taking into account the limitations surrounding these children's unique and uncontrollable circumstances. The findings of this multiple case study supported preceding research that identified children of alcoholics as having similar experiences to participants in this study and facing many of the same consequences as adults. Analyses revealed a variety of experiences and variable traumas experienced by children of alcoholics outside of the school setting. Findings identified multiple themes and areas of support that teachers can provide to children of alcoholics in their classrooms, which could impact the quality of their school experience and influence their adult life. Among the themes identified were the provision of a safe place and basic needs, the acknowledgement and sharing of emotions, encouragement and support from a role model, and the development of personal connections and meaningful relationships. This study provides stakeholders with vital insight into the lived experiences of children of alcoholics as well as multiple methods for assisting these students within the context of the classroom.
