Aynur Bütün Ayhan

This study aimed to examine how the concepts of hospital and illness are represented in picture books prepared for children aged three to six years. The study group consisted of 29 picture children’s books that addressed the themes of hospital and illness and were selected through criterion-based purposive sampling. A qualitative document analysis design was employed. Data were collected using the “Illustrated Storybook Evaluation Scale” to assess formal and content-related characteristics, and the “Book Evaluation Form” to examine how hospital and illness concepts were presented. The data were analyzed using descriptive and categorical content analysis. The findings indicated that the overall form and content quality of the picture books was at a sufficient level. Regarding the representation of hospital and illness, elements such as examination rooms and their features, medical devices used during examination, developmentally appropriate information about disease type, causes, and symptoms, and opportunities for children to express their feelings about illness were commonly included. However, important components such as information about hospital exteriors, gardens, playrooms, operating rooms, pre- and post-surgical procedures, treatment processes, hospital staff, and children’s emotional experiences related to the hospital environment were largely absent. The results were discussed in light of existing literature, and recommendations were provided for the development of more developmentally supportive hospital-themed picture books.

This study aimed to examine the developmental themes represented in My Neighbor Totoro (1988) from a child development perspective and to interpret these themes in relation to contemporary developmental literature. The study was designed as a qualitative document analysis. Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film My Neighbor Totoro was treated as the primary document, and selected scenes were analyzed through content analysis. The film was viewed repeatedly, scene-based transcripts were prepared with time codes, and the data were coded through pre-coding, open coding, and axial coding procedures. As a result of the analysis, four main themes were identified: imaginary companions and coping, sibling relationships and emotional support, nature, play, and learning, and parental sensitivity and secure attachment. The findings indicated that the character of Totoro functions as a symbolic resource that supports children’s coping with anxiety, uncertainty, and stress. In addition, the sibling relationship between Satsuki and Mei was found to represent an important source of emotional support and resilience. The film also highlights the developmental value of nature-based play, creativity, and exploration, while the father figure reflects a sensitive parenting model that validates children’s subjective experiences and supports secure attachment. Overall, the study suggests that My Neighbor Totoro is not merely an entertainment product but also a rich cultural text that reflects children’s emotional, social, and cognitive developmental processes. These findings underline the importance of evaluating high-quality animated films as meaningful tools for emotional literacy, media literacy, and child development research.

The goal of this study is to analyze the impact of an Emotion Regulation Support Program applied to 60–72‐month‐old children on their emotion regulation skills and secure‐base relations with teachers in terms of their attachment styles. The study, carried out using a semi‐ intervention design with a pre‐test/post‐test and 1‐month follow‐up test design and a comparison group, included a study group of 100 children with secure, avoidant, and negative attachment styles (50 intervention group children, 50 children in the comparison group). Data collection tools used included a “General Data Form” developed by the author to collect data from the children and their families, Teachers Ratings of Child Secure Base Behaviour and Emotion Regulation” to assess children's emotion regulation skills and secure‐base relations with teachers and “Incomplete Stories with Doll Family Story Scale” to identify their attachment styles. Children's emotion regulation skills were supported by the “60–72‐Month‐old Children Emotion Regulation Support Program.” The study results showed a significant positive difference in favor of securely attached children's emotion regulation skills and secure‐base relations with teachers ( p > 0.05). While the emotion regulation skills of children with avoidant attachment were significantly and positively different ( p > 0.05). no difference was observed in terms of their secure‐base relations with teachers ( p > 0.05). Similarly, no difference was observed in negatively attached children's emotion regulation skills and secure‐base relations with teachers ( p > 0.05). The study results were presented to researchers, professionals and teachers working with children at the end of the study. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature by providing empirical evidence on how an emotion regulation support program impacts both the emotion regulation skills and secure base relationships of 60–72‐month‐old children in the context of their attachment styles. The findings contribute to a deeper theoretical understanding of the dynamic interplay between emotion regulation and attachment in early childhood.

In this study, it is aimed to examine adolescents’ delinquent behaviors with various variables and to evaluate the relationship between adolescents' delinquency tendency and perceived parental acceptance and rejection levels. This is a descriptive study with a screening model. The research study group consists of 281 adolescents in the 12-17 age group in official schools where high school adolescents attend high school of National Ministry of Education in Hassa District of Hatay province. Tools used for data collection were "General Information Form" prepared by the researcher in order to collect socio-demographic data about adolescents and their parents as a data collection tool in the study, the "Criminal Behavior Scale" to determine the criminal behaviors of adolescents, and the "Parental Acceptance Scale (Child / Adolescent Form-Short)" to determine perceived parental acceptance and rejection by adolescents.As a result of the study, moderately positive and significant relationship was found between the total scores of Criminal Behavior and the total scores of the Mother Acceptance Rejection Scale and Father Acceptance Rejection Scale. Also, it was found that the delinquent behaviors of adolescents differed according to gender, the way the family was punished, and the type of movie they preferred to watch. In line with the findings of the study, suggestions were made to parents, experts working with children, institutions and organizations.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease that significantly affects not only individuals but also their families, especially children. Although awareness of the psychosocial impact of parental MS is increasing, research focusing on adolescents’ experiences remains limited. This study aimed to explore the life experiences of Turkish adolescents aged 14–18 who have a parent diagnosed with MS. A descriptive phenomenological design was adopted to examine their subjective experiences in depth. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, then analyzed using Giorgi’s phenomenological method. Ten adolescents were selected via purposive sampling from a neurology outpatient clinic in Türkiye. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes: emotional responses to the MS diagnosis, changes in intra-family relationships, the influence of the parent’s MS on adolescents’ lives, and academic challenges. Findings indicated emotional strain, increased responsibilities, social restrictions, and academic difficulties. Participants also used metaphors to articulate emotional complexity and shifting family roles.