TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding childhood adversity in West Sulawesi, Indonesia
AU - Baumont, Monique
AU - Wandasari, Wenny
AU - Agastya, Ni Luh Putu Maitra
AU - Findley, Sally
AU - Kusumaningrum, Santi
N1 - Funding Information:
This manuscript was part of a multi-year research initiative aiming to establish a national evidence base on the effects of early childhood adversity on the wellbeing, resilience, and potential of Indonesia’s next generation. The main study was funded through a partnership between PUSKAPA and Ministry of Education and Culture, Government of Indonesia, with additional support from UNICEF and Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS).
Funding Information:
We thank our colleagues at PUSKAPA, especially Windy Liem for helping us with data cleaning and Rama Adi Putra for reviewing results. We also thank Akbar Halim and our local researchers from Yayasan Karampuang who were involved in data collection for the main study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
PY - 2020/9
Y1 - 2020/9
N2 - Background: Despite research indicating the long-term impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACE), few studies identify cultural variations in perceptions of ACE in low-resource settings. Objective: This study explores culturally-rooted notions of ACE and sources of vulnerability in two culturally distinct districts in West Sulawesi, Indonesia. Methods: Data from 50 stakeholders were collected from four focus group discussions and nine semi-structured key informant interviews in Mamasa and Mamuju districts in West Sulawesi. All interviews were conducted in Bahasa Indonesia, recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. Constant comparative analysis was used to identify key themes. Results: Primary ACE were violence, abandonment due to parents migrating for work, and malnourishment. While individual child characteristics appeared to play a minimal role in vulnerability to ACE, factors at the community and familial levels such as widespread poverty and low levels of parental education led to early transitions to adulthood through child marriage and employment. Cultural norms, particularly adherence to customary law, impacted both vulnerability and responses to violence against children. Conclusions: ACE interventions should expand beyond individual and family-level interventions to address these structural and cultural barriers to resilience.
AB - Background: Despite research indicating the long-term impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACE), few studies identify cultural variations in perceptions of ACE in low-resource settings. Objective: This study explores culturally-rooted notions of ACE and sources of vulnerability in two culturally distinct districts in West Sulawesi, Indonesia. Methods: Data from 50 stakeholders were collected from four focus group discussions and nine semi-structured key informant interviews in Mamasa and Mamuju districts in West Sulawesi. All interviews were conducted in Bahasa Indonesia, recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. Constant comparative analysis was used to identify key themes. Results: Primary ACE were violence, abandonment due to parents migrating for work, and malnourishment. While individual child characteristics appeared to play a minimal role in vulnerability to ACE, factors at the community and familial levels such as widespread poverty and low levels of parental education led to early transitions to adulthood through child marriage and employment. Cultural norms, particularly adherence to customary law, impacted both vulnerability and responses to violence against children. Conclusions: ACE interventions should expand beyond individual and family-level interventions to address these structural and cultural barriers to resilience.
KW - Adverse childhood experiences
KW - child development
KW - child maltreatment
KW - Indonesia
KW - poverty
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85086582204&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104533
DO - 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104533
M3 - Article
C2 - 32570186
AN - SCOPUS:85086582204
SN - 0145-2134
VL - 107
SP - 1
EP - 12
JO - Child Abuse and Neglect
JF - Child Abuse and Neglect
M1 - 104533
ER -