Young People’s Experiences of
Family Connectedness
Elise Woodman
Presentation Outline

The research context

How the research was conducted

Key themes

Findings and recommendations
Why research this area?

Concerns
about the extent of mental health
issues experienced by young people

Family
connectedness well established as an
important factor for wellbeing
connectedness: “the family’s sense of
belonging and being psychologically close in ways
perceived and defined by the adolescent” (Crespo et
al., 2010, p. 1394).

Family

Limited
qualitative research on what things
actually help young people feel connected to
family
Research Question

How
do young people understand
and experience family
connectedness?
Key Priorities

Recognising the value of young people’s perspectives

Valued

Use

in their own right as competent social actors
of a young person’s reference group
Systems Theory

Person-in-environment
social work perspective

Consideration
of the impact of the broader context on
families and young people

Qualitative Methodology
young people’s experiences of family
connectedness in depth

Explore

Add
greater insights on connectedness to the current
literature
Who I spoke to

31
young people

13
females, 18 males

From

23
4 schools
participants lived with both biological parents

7 participants
from separated families

6 participants
identified with cultures other than
Australian

5 participants
spoke 2 languages at home
Factors important for family
connectedness:
Global Themes

Being
present and engaged in family life

Having

Young
things in common
people feeling valued

Connections
over time
Factors that can affect family
connectedness:
Global themes

Family
dynamics including parent
relationships, level of family stress and
young people’s participation

Factors
outside the family such as work
pressures and school
Insights into Young People and
Families

Valuing
the basics

Valuing
young people and their
insights

Recognising
unique experiences and
family contexts

Variety
of supporters

Starting early
Considering the broader
social context

Individualism

Support surrounding
families

Time, work
expectations and
materialism

Stress
and busy lives
What does all this mean for
how we work with families?
Recommendations for:

Parents

Young
people

Schools

Practitioners
For Parents

Spend time with young people, eat dinner as a family, and
listen to what young people have to say

Remember family is of ongoing importance for young
people despite increasing peer relationships

Value young people for their individuality and avoid sibling
comparisons

Respect young people as equal and important members of
the family with valuable opinions

Consider ways to manage and reduce family stress
For Parents

Connect with children as early as possible

Adapt their parenting as young people mature

Remember that young people value boundaries and
parents showing interest in their lives (even if they tell you
to stop nagging them)

Balance boundaries with appropriate
freedom and trust

Consider the impact of their family’s
technology use on connectedness
For Young People

Open communication

Showing
interest in parent’s interests

Considering
impact of outside activities
and technology use

Prioritising
family time

Communicate needs

Consider
their role in connectedness
For Schools

Safe environments

Parent
education on family
connectedness

Supported
by research findings
and visual presentation of
themes

Additional
risk
support for those at
Practitioners who work with
young people and families

Assist efforts to support connectedness and wellbeing

Theme map as an assessment and therapeutic tool

Evidence base to support social work interventions

Flexible
approach to working with families
young people’s expertise and individual
circumstances

Recognise

Consider
the impact of the
broader environment
Conclusions

Support
efforts to understand and build
family connectedness

More
detailed insights into what family
connectedness looks like and how to
achieve it

Key
themes to assist with parent
education

Importance
of talking to young people

Considering
broader social pressures
Questions