Sense of coherence of institution-confined teenage girls at risk

Teenage girls who suffer from neglect, violence, and/or incest are considered to be girls at risk. They are at a heightened risk of dropping out of formaleducation institutions, being exposed to conflicts at home and within their peer group, experiencing alcohol or drug abuse, and attempting suicide. It is well understood how such circumstances may impact personal resources, such as sense of coherence (SOC). The current study aimed to examine the personal resources that at-risk teenage girls possess, their perceptions of those resources, and how those perceptions can change within a short period of time. The subjects of this study, conducted in Israel, were girls aged 14-17, who were confined to a therapeutic, short-term institution for intervention during a crisis. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 girls, to understand their perceptions of their own personal resources. We found that the girls perceived the environment as difficult to understand and felt that they did not possess sufficient personal resources to cope with challenges. From this, we understood that there had been an impairment of their SOC. However, we found that the girls had a tendency to focus forward and set goals for the future. This tendency indicates a strengthening of the girls' personal resources, that is, a positive change in SOC. The current research sheds light on the inner world of girls at risk from a salutogenic perspective, rather than focusing on pathogeny. The ability of the girls to perceive themselves as having strengths and personal resources may help them to better cope with future stress, to adjust to changes that are still ahead of them, and to draw on their own resources in a variety of stressful situations. This suggests that it may be worthwhile to use more positive, salutogenic language and attitudes in educational-therapeutic institutions, to help to empower such girls.