Action Research to Understand and Empower Children Growing Up in Foster Care in Hungary

Abstract

Children growing up in foster care are particularly vulnerable to the risks of using the Internet. As we do not have up-to-date information about the digital culture, internet usage habits and communication practices of the target group, it is necessary to independently research their situation and map their basic digital patterns. For this purpose, pilot action research was conducted through small-sample data collection. This article focuses on the connections between research and education in the context of the action research; an avatar creation workshop followed by short interviews and analysis of the images connected to the other parts of the research.

Keywords

Foster Care, Online Risk Exposure, Media Education, Online Identity

Introduction: online vulnerability of children and youth in foster care

In Hungary, about twenty-one thousand young people live in the child protection system, foster homes, and foster parents.  Since 2021, all children under the age of 12 should be placed with a foster parent, but unfortunately, this possibility is still limited, because of the lack of the foster parents and the financial conditions. For this reason, nowadays also some of the children are living in foster care institutions, together with older peers.  Over the age of 12, most of the children live in so-called dwellings in a bigger institution, where 10-12 children of different ages live with their educators in a separate house or flat. Recently, the church has also been playing a major role in institutional care.

We believe that generational gaps in the digital world carry a lot of danger for disadvantaged young people, especially those living in child protection services: being left alone in the online space can further increase their vulnerability. As we do not have up-to-date information about the digital culture, internet usage habits and communication practices of the target group, it seemed important to independently research their situation and map their basic digital patterns. As mass media and digital devices and networks play an increasingly important role in the socialization of young people, we think it is particularly important to learn about their media usage habits and risks.

The reasons for the stronger online risk exposure of people in child protection care: the most important factors are partly (1) personal, such as risk-taking, low self-esteem and/or other psychological difficulties; (2) social factors, such as lack of parental support and community norms; and (3) factors resulting from online environment and online activity, (Burns and Gottschalk, 2019).

These may include for example the following phenomena (Gy. Jakab, Sz., Németh, R. Patai, B. Timár, Á. Bethlenfalvy, R. Rajnai, 2022/b):

 – Matthew-effect: Matthew-effect is said to occur when social advantages lead to further advantages, or disadvantages to further disadvantages (Rigney, 2010). Now researchers are beginning to document a digital Matthew Effect, in which the already advantaged gain more from technology than do the less fortunate. A growing body of evidence indicates that in many cases, tech is having the opposite effect: It is increasing the gap between rich and poor. (Neuman-Celano, 2012.). Also, children in different economic situations use the internet and digital devices in different ways. In our research, for example, it turned out that digital media use is a group activity most of the time (gaming and social media use also), so users are less separated and lonely while using digital media. Another example: because of the lack of devices and online access they use screen time / mobile use as a “currency” to buy things from each other. 

– “Escapism” and need of autonomy: In this sense, escapism means active immersion in the digital experience world as a means of escaping from everyday problems (Demetrovics et al., 2011). Due to the emotional lability, lack of independence, limited attention, connection and attachment disorders of people living in child protection care, the immediate, stimulus-rich world of the online environment can be extremely attractive to children; this can be the field of breaking away from the everyday world (with the help of movies and video games – the participants in the study watch a lot of videos, and some multiplayer online games such as Call of Duty, Players Unknown Battleground and FreeFire are common among them). Problematic online game use and escapism as motivation may be related to each other (Király, 2015). However, through social media and chat applications, there is also the hope of “real” escape; the internet means a continuous and direct connection with the “outside world”. It is a possibility to communicate with family, also to easily connect to strangers in a desire of a new life. More than half of the participants in our research have at least one online “friend” who they don’t know from offline life.

–Lack of adult mediation: Digital networks play an important role in the socialization of young people living in specialized child protection care: their values, patterns of thinking, living, and acting, their relationships, and their sense of reality are greatly influenced by the digital world. On the other hand, foster parents and educators working in child protection services are not prepared to control the media usage habits of young people and to educate them on how to use the devices and the dangers of improper use. Due to their situation, people living in specialized child protection services are more exposed to online risks, since adult mediation is almost completely absent in their case (it appears at most in the context of reward/punishment). Institutional media use protocols are also contingent and mostly outdated.

Framework of the action research

In a research field faced with considerable methodological, technical, and ethical challenges, due to the sensitivity and circumstances of the research, (data protection concerns with the lack of parental consent, institutional limits), we did not have the opportunity to explore the social background and traumas of the participants in detail, by using background data; nor to use mobile ethnography tools.

Therefore, during the research, we approached the topic with the involvement of several specialists (psychologists, sociologists, education researchers, drama educators, media literacy experts) and different methods. From the data obtained from the various research areas, which were used also for developing “digital media user profiles” in order to plan possible personalized interventions; and to gain general information about the online life, media use, activities, risk exposure and attitudes.

Because of the special circumstances, action research was conducted. The term ‘action research’ “suggests a single activity which is simultaneously a form of inquiry and a form of practical action” (Munn-Giddings-Winter, 2002.). This strategy combines research with action and participation in the field. Action research pursues action (or change) and research (or understanding) at the same time. It was primary from the first moment to communicate about digital media in a way that helped participants (and their educators) to talk about and reflect on their online experiences without the fear of being judged, or to be scared about the possible harms. Also, we would like to form an environment which invites participants to a safe place where they can start to think about their own media life and empower them to use the online environment for active participation. The research was conducted in two locations, Pécs and Mátészalka, in a state- and a church-run institute. In both locations, children and young people between the ages of 11 and 19 living in residential homes participated, a total of 70 young people, of whom 34 were finally included in each component of the research. The action research nature of the investigation was strengthened by the selection of research assistants, all four of whom were connected to the topic in some way. 1 PhD and 3 MA students (sociologists and social workers) were involved, all of them grew up in foster care institutions (one of them also lives in a foster home in an aftercare system). They participated in the whole research process, and they conducted the interviews, they supported the participants filling the questionnaires etc.

The research process itself was a very intensive two-day-long activity in both places; what itself was an intensive experience for the participants. Various modules: educational programs and digital media experiences were involved in the 2 days, along with the interviews, psychological tests and a drama play activity. Social intervention, education was integrated as part of the data collection and the whole research process. Interactive digital media workshops and a focus group using the “Debate Theatre” method in order to reveal media use and risks were also part of the whole action research.

The research used a mixed-method qualitative approach:

1. Socio – cultural background and personality (Eysneck Personality Test, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire /PIUQ)
2. Digital Wellbeing Questionnaire (modified version of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale)
3. Media use interviews
4. Avatar creation workshop and reflective interviews
5. Debate Theatre / focus group focusing on mobile phone use practices, hate speech, shocking content, online bullying and abuse

Through the projection of personality characteristics and digital satisfaction clusters, the media usage habits of the participants in the study, the social background and the analysis of their online risk exposure, digital child protection profiles emerged; that could describe the main characteristics of individual users. The method of profiling contributes to understanding the feelings of children living in child protection institutions regarding the online world, their motivations and frustrations related to online media use, and to get a picture of them nuanced by their personality traits and personal life stories. We are at the first – rather pilot – stage of the profiling method we have developed. During our action research, 12 digital child protection profiles were formed following the analysis of the data collected with the help of the data collection methods presented above (Gy. Jakab, Sz., Németh, R. Patai, B. Timár, Á. Bethlenfalvy, R. Rajnai; 2022/c).

Using avatar creation workshop to examine (online) identity

The use of digital media, active participation in the online world, offers the opportunity to reduce the digital divide. Learning by doing, experience, plays a significant role in media education. “Theory” and “practice” are not severable in the development of media literacy. Therefore, when designing the action research project, it was clear that the modules will include a factor based on experience learning which is both an element of research, and a media usage experience for participants.

The process

The preparation of the online avatar of the research participants with the accompanying mini-interviews provides information on the online identity of the examined persons on the one hand and introduces them to a usable online tool on the other hand. During the conversation and game leading up to the avatar-making “session”, the expression and protection of online identity, the role of online avatars, and possibly their use as profile pictures were also discussed.

A full 60-minute-long workshop was held for every 5-6 participants with one research assistant, beginning with a discussion about the role and use of avatar pictures, and a short “who is who” game with avatars pre-created by the same application, to make the participants familiar with the character styles and the parts (eg. colors, hair, eye, background etc.).

The research used DoppelMe avatar creator (https://doppelme.com), is a freemium platform that runs in a browser, so it also worked in the different technical conditions available at the two research sites (tablets, laptops). We used the paid version, providing several different types of background, clothing, accessories etc.

Two separate user accounts were created for the research in Pécs and in Mátészalka, both with paid subscriptions, so that the realization of the figures was not limited. However, it is typical that this opportunity was used to a limited extent by the participants; they did not use, for example, superhero (Batman, Spiderman, etc.) skins, their figures remained more realistic. Knowing the application, you can also see that for all accessories (hairstyle, outfit, background) the samples displayed on the first few pages were used, and they had not “turned the page” further.

The research assistants helped operate the application and presented the possibilities. According to the reports of the assistants, the use of the interface did not cause any technical difficulties for the participants. Perhaps the only technical difficulty was the color choice – some characters have white hair and beards because they “stayed like that”; participants hadn’t discovered the possibility of changing the colors in the first step, and later they didn’t go back.

After creating the avatars, the assistants conducted short interviews in which they asked about the creative intentions, planning, and feelings about their creations.

Results

A total of 27 avatars were created at the two locations. Three major character types can be separated, and most of the finished works can be classified into these:

• “Ideal”: some participants have created an idealized, digital version of themselves. Typically, aged (adult) and depicted as elegant, well-dressed (wearing a beard, suit, with a “cool” background, going to a party)
• “Clown”: others took the task as a game and fun, but the clown characters also show what they want to reveal about themselves.
• “Real life”: depicting themselves with (almost) the same hairstyle, wardrobe; in real-life situations (playing football or going to a party). Some Roma participants depicted themselves with brown skin, and they highlighted it in the interview.

Looking at all the figures together, some general characteristics and motifs can be recognized. We must consider that as they participated in the workshop in small groups, the avatars made at the same time are quite similar (football players, girls in wedding gown). Coding of the images refers to the place (M or P: the city; F or L: boy or girl; the next to numbers showing the age of the participant).

Facial expressions

In the case of some depictions, the creators paid attention to the facial expression; of these, the one who laughs widely, is happy; the winking (playful, simplistic – this can also be seen from the related interviews) is the most common. One participant (P/F/14/1) chose a particularly sad facial expression and reflected on this in the interview, “I don’t feel good here”.

Hairstyle

The choice of the hairstyle was made by all the participants in a deliberate and conscious manner, it is clear from the interviews that they tried to follow reality; even the hairstyle of the girl with turquoise green hair (P/L/16/6) is this color in reality. It seems that this is the element where similarity, “recognizability”, instead of being under- or over-stylized, was the most sought after.

Clothing

The fantasy world is less evident in the costumes compared to the ideas, three classic “costumed” figures (the football player, the cowboy and the princess) appear, others depicted themselves in a realistic or idealized way (in a suit), perhaps with a characteristic accessory each .

Attributes

The participants used the accessories with great pleasure and creativity, the most typical for the boys being the soccer ball (a total of five soccer fans from Mátészalka; the complete soccer player outfit, accompanied by the elegant suit and top hat), and the video game console. The girls used the interface much more creatively to express their norm-breaking, deviant self (devil’s horn, wine bottle). A girl also has a guitar, (as it turned out, she had one before, and she was happy to depict herself with it).

Background

Based on several interviews, it can be established that many of the participants deliberately chose the most popular dark background here; several people stated that they like the night, the nightlife, when “you can go to a party with your friends”.

Compared to the other part of the research it turned out that some of the character’s characteristics connected to the results of the psychological tests, but not in every case.

The creator of this avatar – based on her psychological results – has low self-esteem and emotional instability. She is also prone to deviant behavior and breaking social norms. In this picture, she wears devil’s horns, has a red rose in her hands, and stands in front of a prison door.

The creator of this avatar is characterized by low self-esteem and emotional instability. He is more introverted, but at the same time, the outside world’s opinion of him is important to him. Based on his personality traits, he can become a victim. In the picture the use of the colors and his facial expression shows his sadness. In the interview, he says: “I’m not feeling too good here… in the dwelling”.

The creator of the third example is – based on his psychological results is characterized by emotional instability and low self-esteem. He is introverted, but the outside world’s opinion of him is important to him. His way of thinking can encourage him to do deviant actions and problems may also occur in relation to internet use. His picture seems like it is not completed, the figure is not colored, as if he wants to become invisible.

Of course, these interpretations do not stand on their own, and in most cases no such connection can be found. However, the avatar-making exercise within the research gave the participants the opportunity to think about how they would present themselves in the online space, and attempted to make the participants reflect on their own works.

Unfortunately, this pilot research – mainly due to the small number of participants – did not provide general results, its basic purpose was to reveal the digital risk exposure of the young people living here. The pilot can be considered preliminary deep drilling, the results of which can serve as a basis for subsequent research and development activities.

References

Burns, T. & Gottschalk, F. (2019, ed.). Educating 21st Century Children: Emotional Well-being in the Digital Age, Educational Research and Innovation. OECD Publishing.

Demetrovics, Z., Urbán, R., Nagygyörgy, K., Farkas, J.,  Zilahy,  D.,  Mervó,  B.,  Reindl, A.,  Ágoston,  C., Kertész, A. & Harmath, E. (2011). Why do you play? The development  of  the  motives  for  online  gaming  questionnaire (MOGQ). Behavior Research Methods, 43(3), 814–825.

Jakab, G., Németh, S., Patai, R., Timár, B.; Bethlenfalvy, Á. (2022/b). A gyermekvédelmi szakellátásban élő fiatalok online kockázati kitettsége és digitális médiahasználatának jellemzői. ISKOLAKULTÚRA: PEDAGÓGUSOK SZAKMAI-TUDOMÁNYOS FOLYÓIRATA, 32(3), 13–30. http://doi.org/10.14232/ISKKULT.2022.3.13 

Jakab, G., Németh, S., Patai, R., Timár, B., Bethlenfalvy, Á., Rajnai, R., & Szijártó, Z. (2022/a). A gyermekvédelmi szakellátásban élő fiatalok médiahasználatát és digitális profilozását célzó akciókutatás. ISKOLAKULTÚRA: PEDAGÓGUSOK SZAKMAI-TUDOMÁNYOS FOLYÓIRATA, 32(3), 3–12. http://doi.org/10.14232/ISKKULT.2022.3.3

Jakab, G., Németh, S., Patai, R.; Timár, B. (2022/c). A lakásotthonokban élő fiatalok digitális médiahasználati profiljai. ISKOLAKULTÚRA: PEDAGÓGUSOK SZAKMAI-TUDOMÁNYOS FOLYÓIRATA, 32(3), 44–69. http://doi.org/10.14232/ISKKULT.2022.3.44 

Király  Orsolya  (2015). A  játékmotivációk  mediáló szerepe a pszichiátriai tünetek és a problémás online-játék-használat  között.  II.  Országos  Alkalmazott Pszichológiai  PhD  Hallgatói  Konferencia,  Károli Gáspár Egyetem.

KSH – Hungarian Central Statistical Office: Minors and young adults under professional child protection provision [persons] https://www.ksh.hu/stadat_files/szo/en/szo0016.html 

Munn-Giddings, Carol; Winter, Richard. (2002). A Handbook for Action Research in Health and Social Care. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. pp.5

Neuman, S., & Celano, C. (2012). Giving our children a fighting chance: Poverty, literacy, and the development of information capital. New York: Teachers College Press.

Rigney, D. (2010). The Matthew Effect: How Advantage Begets Further Advantage. Columbia University Press.