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Edita (Elly) OmerovicMexican CultureResearch Paper4/27/13Parentification: A New Age The issue of Parentification is a problem in multiple cultures across the globe. There will always be a family that has a role for a family member to fill and it may be more adult than a child or teen should handle. There are no exceptions made in these cases. There is a need and without that being fulfilled the family does not function. So, what is Parentification, why is it a problem, and how to treat it?“Parentification is a type of role reversal boundary distortion and inverted hierarchy between parents and other family members in which children or adolescents assume developmentally inappropriate levels of responsibility in the family of origin that go unrecognized, unsupported and unrewarded.” (UoA13) In other words, the family that has a child or adolescent that takes on adult roles in the family is a child or teen that is doing parentification. There are two subtypes of parentification, Instrumental Parentification, and Emotional Parentification. In Instrumental Parentification, it is primarily involving completion of physical tasks of the family, such as taking care of family members, grocery shopping, taking care of bills, even holding work and school. Whereby, Emotional Parentification is primarily involving the child taking on an adult mindset of responsibility. Often involving the child or adolescent taking on the confidant, secret keeper, or emotional healer for family members. There are many problems that can stem from parentification of children or adolescents. A couple of such problems were addressed as, extreme anger and difficulty with adult attachments. Samuel Lopez De Victoria, Ph.D. wrote. A very subtle way to create damage in your child is to turn that child into your parent.”(Sam08) It is also important to know that as a child or teen grows up there are further problems that occur through parentification. “The parentified adult child can experience hardship in connecting with friends, spouse, and his/her children. This person could be operating out of deficits in knowing how to attach. Hence he/she could find it difficult to experience healthy intimacy in relationships. Relationships will tend to be distorted on some level.” (Sam08) So, you see the effect of parentification isn’t immediate, it is long term and has potential to make things more difficult besides the weights of stress that the child or adolescent may already endure. This is just part of the problem. Really, no child should have to take responsibility of an adult before their time. We all develop at different times, we grow and mature at a level that is a natural process, but if we force that along by putting the child or teen in a position of responsibility and stress, the effects are irreversible and often very damaging. The parentified child may also find a distaste for their parent(s) and grow detached, as well as learning behaviors that will affect them and how they may parent their own children. The need for psychological attachments with children and adolescents effect them, and when they become parentified they lose that, and so become more despondent and drift away from the family in many cases. There also is the importance that when the parentified child or teen is the emotional support for the family, it becomes a problem in later relationships. Whether this be in single families, or large families, this can effect relationships with spouse, or with a family of their own. Even it can damage the relationships with friends or lovers. Often the amount of stress that a child of parentification endures is so much to that child or adolescent that it outweighs them, and in so they fold or break under the pressure. This could cause PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). “As the originators of the posttraumatic growth construct, Tedeschi et al. (1998) contended that several assumptions underlie PTG: (1) traumatic events or environments are usually sudden and unexpected, so that an individual confronted with such an event lacks a sense of psychological preparedness; (2) a traumatic event or environment is one that leaves the person feeling like he or she has no control over the event; (3) trauma is often an unfamiliar event or environment that leaves one unaware of how best to cope or adapt to the unknown event; and (4) a traumatic event is one that creates long-lasting problems.” (Hooper07) The evidence supporting the effects of parentification is long lasting and often run very deeply. This is bad enough, but it can be even more problematic when the child or adolescent is unrewarded, unnoticed, unrecognized. This causes many more issues, because of the maltreatment. “Furthermore in cases of maltreatment and neglect, this implicit poor environment only exacerbates the potential inimical outcomes and future risks for adult functioning.” (Hoo007)This is clearly an issue. As we mature on a developmentally standard basis, we slowly grow to take on more responsibility; we mature at a rate that is adaptable and capable of understanding outcomes and choices. Now, imagine dumping all that on a child? What significant effect could happen just because of that? As you can see, the evidence is clearly pointing out, there are multiple negative effects that can spring from having a parentified child or adolescent. Considering that the families that have parentified children or adolescents often do not have many other choices. Often the roll is left unfilled because of problems involving one parent, such as disabilities, or death, or trauma, even language barriers can cause the need for the child to take on more responsibilities. When dealing with Latino families this is often a major reason for the parentification of a child or adolescent to occur. When cultures that do not understand English require a translation for most conversations and even paperwork it often causes the need for the child, whom may have developed the English language faster than their parents, or family member, then they are tied to the family for fulfilling the role of translator for the family. Often times this consists of answering the phone or/and talking with bill collectors, handling affairs in legal matters, dealing with Workforce Services, or other agencies. Not to mention the probable problems that can occur through mistranslations and mistakes that a child may not recognize. The role is filled for various reasons. Sometimes, the parents of a parentified child are arguing constantly so the child begins to step in as mediator. Trying to maintain a semblance of peace in a family that isn’t at peace. This bears on the child as an emotional parent, they seem to try to fix the issues regarding emotional things involving family members. Other times, the child or adolescent that is parentified is the one calming other family down, when problems occur, meaning they are the glue that is keeping a family together. This becomes even more problematic the more distress that the family is in. It can be further damaging if for whatever reason the family doesn’t stay together. The feeling of failure falls on the parentified child or teen and they are clearly damaged by the separation. So, no matter what the reason that a child or adolescent may take the role of the parent, is a large issue that isn’t simply fixed. It is important for those Latino families to understand that although the culture expects the family to stick together, to be strong, and support each other, this can often be more damage than helpful to their children or adolescents. Understanding that translating is sometimes necessary, for multiple reasons, it should not be a reliance on a child or adolescent to be that translator. English classes are available and there are resources that can be used to help parents better understand English. As well as if costs are a requirement for children to work as babysitter, or caregiver, or take responsibility in adult ways, then there are programs to aid in costs. Programs such as Food stamps through Workforce Services, The Catholic Community Services also offer support to needy families. Along with the city’s Housing Authority, can help with costs related to housing. There also could be the cost of daycare or other services that may be available and yet there is help out there. So why are these families not getting the help?Part of the reason is awareness. Many Latino families are coming from another culture and way of life to the United States of America to start a better life. Though they may not understand English so well, and they already have so much on their plate, programs can easily be overlooked. Let alone there really isn’t much in the way of advertisements issuing the help is available. There isn’t usually some class or place to learn about all the programs available, especially because there are different programs for different needs, through different agencies. For instance, if a single mother is working two jobs to support her apartment, and kids, than likely a child will take on the role of a parent in the absence. So if housing could help find her an apartment that is supplemented by the Housing Authority than the cost of living would go down, thereby the single mother may now only need one fulltime job, and if necessary a part time addition. Also, through her being able not work the second job, she can have a more supporting role to her family, requiring less from a child or adolescent who may have taken on the parental role. Even in the case with Food stamps the cost of living going down would allow for more ability to care for family members, as well as aid in the functionality of a parent. Though these programs exist, they are not understood, or educated to individuals, like Latino families, to be aware of the programs available. Outlined in my strategy is a cost-effective way that may aid some Hispanic communities, and a general community, in the endeavor of knowledge is power. I would hold a seminar at the downtown Salt Lake City Public Library auditorium. (0 Cost to the auditorium) The cost would be free to attend. For two days, one morning class and an evening/night class, I would have speakers like Doug Carlson from Housing, and others from Community Action Program, Workforce Services, Catholic Community Services, and even LDS Family Services, each volunteer someone whom speaks Spanish available, to talk about the services they provide. (Notepaper would be given at a cost of 500 sheets at $9.49 and at a quantity of five packages of 500 sheets a package comes out to $47.45 before tax) As well as the speakers could go over qualifications, and afterward answer possible questions that the families may have. Through the use of inexpensive fliers (100 fliers at a cost of $12.498 the cost for 500 fliers to be printed comes out to approximately $62.45 without tax included) to pass out door to door, many communities would gain an awareness of aid and services that could help solve potential parentification, or currently parentified children or teens. The issue expressed isn’t just affecting Latino families but they are as much at risk for parentification as other families. Though the language barriers are often a cause for a child to begin parentification, it isn’t the only reasons the child or teen may become parentified. The value of a family is something that is delicate and yet strong, it can cause pressures and issues, as well as heal and save. It is important that when dealing with parentification that sometimes we need to look at our children and see what role they may be fulfilling to keep the balance of a family. Sometimes we may not realize that we are letting our children in these roles, and in so it is important that we reflect inwards and look at our own family to see how we as individuals are doing. This isn’t a simple fix it issue, it can’t be solved by any one specific thing, it is a multi-caused problem, and has multiple ways to aid in fixing it. The best solution is to be aware of the family, and ourselves, and begin to mend the potential damage before it continues. Through a little effort a lot can be achieved. I had an interview with Doug Carlson Executive Director of Housing Authority. Here are some questions I had asked him at the interview. Q1) Approximately, how many clients are Latino in the housing program? 22 percent are in the housing program.Q2) How many are families including one or more children? What age ranges are the children, generally? 720 children but I don’t have the range of age.Q3) Are there currently any Latino families that are staying at the Homeless Shelter, possibly awaiting housing? We don’t know that.Q4 What methods are used to give awareness about your services? We have website network with other agencies for referrals. However the waiting list market is a problem. Q5) How long is the process of applying for housing and receiving aid? The waiting list is 8 months to 1 year. So yes it’s a long waiting list.Q6) What is the employment status for most the families applying or/and receiving housing? 41 percent are employed.Q7) Do you have Spanish speakers that translate or do they usually have someone translate? We used to have Spanish speakers but we don’t have it anymore. Usually when we need a Spanish Speaker translator we have agencies to provide them to us when needed. Q8) How many are refused, and what are the most general reasons for refusal? For an Ex) One month ago we had send out 110 letters 32 were approved and 2 people were denied mostly because for Criminal Background. Other ones are immigration they have to have permit status. We have fairly long waiting list. Q9) Does it make difference in their applications if the parents work? What if they have a teen working? No, it doesn’t make a difference however it does make a difference after they get on the program.Q10) Is there any follow-ups that would check on the welfare of the family? No. We provide safe housing either rental subsidy or housing we own that’s basic service. We Help families establish goals. We don’t do case management to bring them out of poverty. Q11) Do most families stay on the housing program, or do most find stability? If staying on the housing program, how long do they generally stay? The length of stay is 64 percent stay less than 5 years. If senior and handicapped the chances are they will stay longer. Q12) Do you help families find other programs that may aid them??Yes we do. We refer them to other agencies that can help them. Bibliography:(UoA13) – Hooper Lisa, (2013) Research on Parentification University of Alabama website accessed 4/2013 from (Sam08) – López De Victoria, S. (2008). Harming Your Child by Making Him Your Parent. Psych Central. Retrieved on April 27, 2013, from (Hooper07) - Hooper, Lisa M. (2007) Expanding the discussion regarding parentification and its varied outcomes: implications for mental health research and practice. American Mental Health Counselors Association. Retrieved on April 26, 2013 from (Hoo007) – Hooper, Lisa M. (2007). The Application of Attachment Theory and Family Systems Theory to the Phenomena of Parentification. The Family Journal. Retrieved on April 26, 2013 from ................
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