Emotional Maturity Among Children Living In Orphanages

Abstract

Children are the future citizens of a country. They not only constitute a large group but also vulnerable or special risk groups of our community (Krishan Lal, 2014). Emotion grows in interaction with expanding awareness of one’s own emotional experience, with one’s ability to empathize and with the capacity to understand causes of emotions and their behavioral consequences. Children also start learning about how and why people act and they grow in their ability to infer what is going on for them emotionally. Family is one of the main socializing institutions of the society. Within the family, the child appropriates the social norms and values and becomes capable of having relations with the other members of the society (Naqshbandi, 2012). Children who have lost their parents are most vulnerable, because they do not have the emotional and physical maturity to address their psychological trauma associated with parental loss. In the society, orphan children can be considered

to be at more risk than average children (Subbarao and Coury, 2004). The objective of the study was to assess and compare the different dimensions of emotional maturity and also to study the level of emotional maturity among children living in orphanages. A questionnaire was developed by the investigator to study the demographic characteristics and the different dimensions of emotional maturity. The sample comprised of 300 children out of which 120 were boys and 180 were girls, between the age range of 6-12 years. The statistical analysis was carried out by applying percentages, mean, standard deviation, chi square and‘t’ test. The findings of the study revealed that, majority of boys and girls showed low level of emotional maturity however, gender was not associated with the level of emotional maturity. Majority of boys showed higher mean score compared to girls. Further the study revealed that, there is a significant difference between boys and girls in the dimensions of ability to deal, adapt to change, satisfaction in giving, relate to others and capacity to love. Whereas there is no significant difference found between boys and girls in the dimensions of freedom from symptoms of tensions and capacity to sublimate aspects of emotional maturity.