THE MEANING OF STRESSFUL LIFE EXPERIENCES IN 9-YEAR-OLD TO 11-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN - A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

The meaning of stressful life experiences was explored in 14 children, 9 to 11 years of age, using the phenomenological method. Data from au diotaped interviews were analyzed using the methodological approach of Giorgi. The children identified 17 categories of situations concentra ted within three principal dimensions: feelings of loss, feelings of t hreat to self, and feelings of being hassled. The participants indicat ed that experiences related to loss, although infrequent, were of grea t consequence in their lives. The interviews demonstrated the frequenc y of situations that evoke feelings of threat to self or create hassle s in children's lives.