Journal of Academic Research for Humanities (JARH) is a double-blind, peer-reviewed, Open Free Access, online Multidisciplinary Research Journal
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Vol. 6 No. 3 (2026)
International Journal of Academic Research for Humanities

Research Articles

The Forms and Prevention of Perceived Neglect among Pakistani Adolescents: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis

https://doi.org/10.67244/jar.bwo-researches.v6i3.a628

Published 29-09-2026

  • Misbah Masood
    • ,
  • Subha Malik
    • ,
  • Talat Sohail

Misbah Masood
PhD student, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Subha Malik
Associate Professor, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Talat Sohail
Professor, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The current study is a qualitative study that aims to study the phenomenon of perceived neglect in Pakistani adolescents, as it is a crucial period of an individual’s life for a promising adulthood. The purpose of the study was to identify different types of neglect according to the perception of adolescents and their parents/caretakers and professionals through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews and to analyze the qualitative data through thematic analysis. The study provided a strong foundation to build a scale to assess perceived neglect. Some indigenous scales were found to be present in Pakistan. Neglect has been studied in patients with depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms, and some assessed abuse and neglect as a whole. A detailed perceived neglect scale for adolescents did not exist in Pakistan, particularly for the age group 13-18 years of age. A purposive sampling technique was used for the study two separate focus groups were conducted with male adolescents (n = 5) and female adolescents (n = 5). Two separate focus group discussions were conducted with fathers (n = 4) and mothers (n = 4) of parents to 13-18 years old adolescents. In-depth interviews (n = 6) were conducted with an educationist (n =1), a psychologist (n =1), a father (n =1), a mother (n =1), a male adolescent (n = 1), and a female adolescent (n =1). There were a total of 12 adults (parents) and 12 adolescents who participated in the qualitative study, with an equal ratio of both genders.

Keywords

qualitative study, adolescents, forms of neglect

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