An investigation into the parentification experiences among male adolescents due to juvenile labour

The main aim of the current thesis was to examine parentification experiences of male adolescents due to juvenile labour. Accordingly, both instrumental and emotional parentification experiences of labourer children were investigated throughoutly from a developmental perspective. A qualitative study was performed to achieve this goal. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven male adolescents who were working at industrial areas of Ankara. Obtained data was analyzed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results suggested five super-ordinate themes across seven cases. These themes were (1) Compromisation of childhood for labour: the forced entry into adulthood, (2) Justification of being in labour as a child, (3) Implicit longing for the lost childhood, (4) Subtle inducement by family to enter labour and adulthood, and (5) 'The third parent' in the house, respectively. These themes were discussed in relation to relevant literature focusing on parentification and social injustice.