Protective behaviours among orphaned learners in a district of Gauteng province, South Africa

Background: While most orphans have difficulties in coping with the loss of a mother, some of them are motivated by their circumstances to cope with the situation. Aim: The study aims to explore protective behaviours of maternally orphaned adolescents in their daily immediate environments that enable them to cope with maternal death in Tshwane North District, Gauteng province. Setting: The setting was secondary schools in Tshwane North of Gauteng province in South Africa. Methods: A qualitative exploratory design was employed among a subsample of 14 purposively sampled maternally orphaned adolescents using one-on-one, in-depth interviews with open-ended questions. The Ecological Systems Theory was used as a framework for analysis, and data were analysed thematically using NVivo12. Results: Some of the orphaned adolescents possess protective behaviours, which contribute towards resilience as the adolescents gave an account of their daily lives through their interactions within the microsystem. They engage in meaningful activities to disengage themselves from negative thoughts and unpleasant emotions. Resilient orphans demonstrate hope for the future, maintain a positive self-concept and adopt coping mechanisms such as recalling positive memories of their mother. They actively seek support for their physical and psychological needs, engage in constructive tasks and foster supportive relationships for their psychological well-being. Conclusion: Possessing personal protective resources and having supportive socioecological resources enable resilience among orphans when facing adversity. Contribution: Findings of this study will inform interventions geared towards building the resilience of orphaned adolescents to cope with maternal loss.