Childhood adultification in economically disadvantaged families: A conceptual model
This article presents an emergent conceptual model of childhood adultification and economic disadvantage derived from 5 longitudinal ethnographies of children and adolescents growing up in low-income families. Childhood adultification involves contextual, social, and developmental processes in which youth are prematurely, and often inappropriately, exposed to adult knowledge and assume extensive adult roles and responsibilities within their family networks. Exemplar cases from the ethnographies are integrated in the discussion to illustrate components of the model. Four successive levels of adultification are described: precocious knowledge, mentored-adultification, peerification/spousification, and parentification. The developmental assets and liabilities children incur also are discussed. Recommendations for school, health care, and social service practitioners working with low-income families and children are provided. © 2007 by the National Council on Family Relations.
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- Family Studies
- 5205 Social and personality psychology
- 5203 Clinical and health psychology
- 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
- 1701 Psychology
- 1607 Social Work
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Related Subject Headings
- Family Studies
- 5205 Social and personality psychology
- 5203 Clinical and health psychology
- 5201 Applied and developmental psychology
- 1701 Psychology
- 1607 Social Work