Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

First Advisor

Genevieve Lowry

Abstract

Children who grow up working and performing in the entertainment industry encounter experiences during childhood unique to their circumstances. Research conducted through interviews with individuals who have worked in the entertainment industry detail experiences such as over-working children on set, lack of emotional outlets to address the stressors experienced, and the impact of the high-stress, fast-paced nature of the industry on the child’s ability to cope. Interviews, as well as articles and documentaries available publicly with anecdotes from former child stars, demonstrate the lack of safety and stability, increased stress, and additional burdens children working in entertainment experience; qualifying growing up as a youth in professional entertainment as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE).

Equipped with knowledge of child development, Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) support children’s psychosocial development and promote comfort with their environments. Through interventions and interactions guided by the pillars of preparation, coping, play, the use of the expressive arts, and developmentally-appropriate explanations, child life specialists are able to support children’s coping who are experiencing stressful circumstances and ACEs. This paper explores how the use of a CCLS in the field of entertainment would positively impact the experiences of child stars while working on set.

15 individuals were contacted online to participate in a semi-structured interview. 5 interviews were conducted, ranging from a length of 1 hour to 2.75 hours. All participants were over the age of 18-years-old, and thematic analysis was conducted to assess common themes between interviews. Themes discovered directly relate to anecdotes in publicly available articles and documentaries involving former child stars.

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Child Life Studies (Program of study)

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