'The story of my animal companion': Examining Romanian social work students' essays on animal companion ownership.

Human—animal relationships play an increasingly recognized role in emotional well-being and family dynamics, yet limited research explores how these bonds are understood by social work students. This qualitative study investigated social work students' experiences with their animal companions. Data...

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Publicado en:Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment Vol. 36; no. 3; pp. 132 - 153
Autores principales: Rujoiu, Valentina, Rujoiu, Octavian
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Apr2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Apr2026
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      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
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        atl: 'The story of my animal companion': Examining Romanian social work students' essays on animal companion ownership.
      aug:
        au:
          Rujoiu, Valentina
          Rujoiu, Octavian
        affil:
          Department of Social Work, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
          Department of Philosophy and Social and Human Sciences, Faculty of Management, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania
      su:
        Anxiety prevention
        Prevention of mental depression
        Adolescent development
        Empathy
        Siblings
        Emotion regulation
        Service animals
        Pets
        Social workers
        Qualitative research
        Professional practice
        Stress management
        Undergraduates
        Social services
        Statistical sampling
        Universities & colleges
        Responsibility
        Human-animal relationships
        Family roles
        Families
        Family relations
        Social work education
        Confidence
        Parent attitudes
        Loneliness
        Psychological adaptation
        Students
        Experience
        Social case work
        Thematic analysis
        Caregivers
        Child development
        Psychological stress
        Social support
        Student attitudes
        Affect (Psychology)
        Friendship
        Psychosocial factors
        Socialization
        Romania
      sug:
        subj:
          Romania
          Anxiety prevention
          Prevention of mental depression
          Adolescent development
          Empathy
          Siblings
          Emotion regulation
          Service animals
          Pets
          Social workers
          Qualitative research
          Professional practice
          Stress management
          Undergraduates
          Social services
          Statistical sampling
          Universities & colleges
          Responsibility
          Human-animal relationships
          Family roles
          Families
          Family relations
          Social work education
          Confidence
          Parent attitudes
          Loneliness
          Psychological adaptation
          Students
          Experience
          Social case work
          Thematic analysis
          Caregivers
          Child development
          Psychological stress
          Social support
          Student attitudes
          Affect (Psychology)
          Friendship
          Psychosocial factors
          Socialization
      keyword:
        animal companion best friend'
        Animal companion family role
        companion animal influence
        emotional support animals
        human-animal bond
      ab: Human—animal relationships play an increasingly recognized role in emotional well-being and family dynamics, yet limited research explores how these bonds are understood by social work students. This qualitative study investigated social work students' experiences with their animal companions. Data were collected through essays written by 58 undergraduate students from Romania, detailing the significance of their animal companions. Thematic analysis revealed three major themes: animal companions as family members, as best friends, and as sources of emotional support. These relationships were found to influence family stability, emotional development, and attitudes toward pets. The study provides valuable insights into the role of animal companions in Romanian families and underscores the importance of integrating this understanding into social work practice, particularly in child and adolescent development.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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      custom: Copyright of Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
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          year: 2026
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