Preventing eco-anxiety in orphans: the potential impact of social worker-child bonding
摘要
Eco-anxiety, characterized by ongoing concerns about the future of the Earth and its ecosystems, is recognized as a significant psychological state. Children, who have limited influence over environmental matters, are particularly susceptible to eco-anxiety. Orphaned children, lacking familial support systems, are a vulnerable group requiring dedicated research to understand and address their unique needs. This paper aims to investigate how alternative family-child bonding influences environmental concerns and coping mechanisms for eco-anxiety in orphaned children and suggest strategies for fostering resilience in this population. The research uses quantitative methods to measure the correlation between family-child bonding and environmental awareness, focusing on gender as a potential moderating factor. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study found that stronger reported family bonds were significantly associated with higher levels of environmental awareness. Children who rated their family relationships as very or extremely good were more likely to demonstrate deeper understanding and concern for environmental issues, as evidenced by higher scores in structured questionnaire responses. These findings suggest that the cognitive aspects of family bonding may play a crucial role in shaping children’s environmental consciousness. The insights gained can guide targeted interventions for at-risk orphaned children.