Abstract

Growing up without parental care may negatively affect adolescents’ behavioral and emotional development, particularly among adolescents in conflict with the law. In a selected secure care center in the Vhembe District, limited research has explored the lived experiences and behavioral impact of growing up without parents. This study aimed to explore and describe the behavioral and emotional impact of growing up without parents among adolescents in conflict with the law in a child and adolescent secure care center in Limpopo Province. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual research design was employed. Purposive sampling was used to recruit twelve (12) adolescents aged 15–17 years admitted to a secure care center in the Vhembe District. Data was collected through individual semi-structured interviews conducted in Xitsonga or Tshivenda, depending on participants’ preferred language. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed using Tesch’s eight steps of data analysis. Ethical considerations and measures to ensure trustworthiness were observed throughout the study. The findings revealed that adolescents experienced low self-esteem, diminished self-confidence, early initiation of substance use, poor educational engagement, survival-oriented delinquent behavior, and feelings of neglect. These findings highlight the need for an integrated intervention approach to ensure coordinated psychosocial, educational, behavioral, and socio-economic support for this population.

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