| dc.description.abstract | This study complements earlier research on loneliness during adolescence by adding insight in the non-Western adolescent’s contextual experiences of loneliness in the peer – and family environment in the Netherlands, and addresses the following questions: To what extent do non-Western adolescents experience their ethnic status as contributing to loneliness? and Which protective factors are experienced by non-Western adolescents as a buffer against loneliness?
Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 15 Dutch-born and foreign-born non-Western adolescents, aged 15-24. The following factors may increase their vulnerability: 1) a disconnection from peers, 2) experiencing difficulties in making contact, and 3) a lack of parental communication. In the context of peers, the majority of the respondents indicated to experience loneliness because of their ethnic minority position. Main barrier for connecting to peers is lacking common interests or in the case of immigrant adolescents, possessing insufficient Dutch proficiency. Family-related loneliness occurs when parents lack sufficient Dutch proficiency. Buffers for loneliness are: 1) having a close friend, 2) recognition in peers, 3) satisfactory parental communication, and 4) external support. This study provides suggestions for practitioners and strategies in the school context will be most far-reaching, since this is the context in which respondents experience loneliness most. | |
