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Understanding the Experience of Girls with EBD in a Gender-Responsive Support Group
- Education and Treatment of Children
- West Virginia University Press
- Volume 35, Number 4, November 2012
- pp. 623-646
- 10.1353/etc.2012.0027
- Article
- Additional Information
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This study examined the perceptions of adolescent girls with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) who were participating in a support group. The focus of the study was to explore the perceptions of the girls' friendships, connectedness with others, ability to establish and maintain relationships, and self-perceptions within the group. The sample consisted of five African American girls ages 15-19 attending a self-contained day school for students with EBD. The study design included three, semi-structured, individual interviews, participant observation of the support group, and collection of field notes and background data. Themes emerged in the areas of: (1) the appearance of normalcy; (2) the influence of negative experiences; (3) the lack of opportunity for exposure to female relationships and role models; (4) the positive influence of gender-responsive programming; and (5) the effects of the environment. Findings and recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.