Family is the most important part of one’s life. But all of us do not have one. According to a 2020 report, there are around 140 million orphans in the world. The number is increasing day by day. They can be put under better care to live a decent life after.
Several non-governmental organizations and institutions have been established to take care of these children. Necessities such as shelter, food, and water are provided there. Voluntarily made donations make up for a large part of their fund. Profession education, is, however, not always available to them.
These children face several emotional and behavioral problems. In the present study, most of the orphans and OVCA were found to be having conduct problems (34.90%) followed by peer problems (15.80%), emotional problems (14.70%), hyperactivity (8.60%), and low prosocial behavior (3.40%).
Who are orphans?
Orphans are the group of children who do not have parental figures in their lives. They lose their parents at a very young age due to several reasons. Non-governmental organizations provide a home to them until they are adopted. They are provided with necessities and sometimes, education too. They are vulnerable to various mental health disorders such as anxiety, stress, trauma, and many more. This can be due to the loss of their parents or an unfavorable social environment there.
Problems faced by orphans
Losing their parents at an early age and put along with a group of strangers can take an emotional toll on you. These children face numerous emotional and behavioral problems. It can be due to their emotional trauma or unfavorable surroundings.
• Abusive experiences
Many children have gone through abusive and traumatic experiences such as abusive childhood and traumatic experiences of losing a parent. This can cause chronic mental health issues if not treated medically.
• Discrimination in orphanages
Discrimination is bound to happen if many children are put together. This can be based upon age, sex, number of years they have been in the care center, race, and many more. They can cause one to feel left out and stressed. It is not easy for a child to deal with the emotional trauma of losing parental figures, family, and facing discrimination altogether. This can cause depression and make them intentionally isolate themselves.
• Violence
Children often feel hatred and hold grudge against one another. Sometimes, this grudge can cause violence and physical harm. Blinded by the hatred for one another, they do not realize the consequences.
• Losing parents
Losing family causes deep sadness in children and they are often unable to overcome it. Moreover, it can also lead to depression and chronic sadness. These children isolate themselves and dwell over it.
• Organizational problems
Many of these organizations tend to mistreat children for personal gain. Additionally, they make them perform various tasks and beat them or deprive them of food as punishment. Consequently, this leads to physical and mental issues among them.
Photo by Kat Jayne from Pexels
How to solve them?
There is always a solution to every problem. Taking proper measures against them can effectively solve these problems.
• Mental counseling
Every foster care home should have a mental counselor. They should regularly have a session with children. They should explain the benefits and confidentiality to the children.
• Education
Education is one of the most important aspects of one’s life. They can live a decent life after leaving foster homes if necessary care is taken. Free education can be provided to them via public schools.
• Staff at organizations
A lot of times, staff of these institutions tend to misuse their power and intentionally cause harm to the children. They force or blackmail them to perform their tasks and manipulate them. Additionally, they can also exploit them to engage in dangerous activities such as illegal dealing of drugs or alcohol.
Conclusion
There are a large number of orphans present all over the world. Authorities should take better care to ensure they lead a decent life in and out of foster homes. Encouraging adoption can reduce the number of orphans. Additionally, it also helps to ensure more and more children have parental figures in their childhood too.
For more articles, click here Domestic Violence and Children
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