Children’s Reactions to Divorce of Parents

The Open Family Studies Journal, 2009, 2, 75-81 75

1874-9224/09 2009 Bentham Open

Open Access

Children’s Reactions to Divorce of Parents

Olaniyi Bojuwoye*,1 and Orok Akpan2

1University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa

2University of Kwazulu Natal, Durban, South Africa

Abstract: With divorce rate on the ascendancy, worldwide, increasing number of vulnerable children are growing up in “broken

homes”. Although divorce affect all children not all children react to it the same way. To some children, parental divorce is a

personal tragedy, for other children, it is an escape from stressful lifestyle of family conflicts. Each child’s personal factors and

associated family dynamics determine how children react to parental divorce. The current study aimed at achieving two purposes

– to ascertain various reactions of participants to parents’ divorce, and to identify factors (personal, familial or environmental)

which played significant influences on participants’ reactions.

Participants comprised fifteen children (9 girls and 6 boys, with a mean age of 14.4 years) of a primary school in a suburb of

Durban, South Africa. They were selected purposively although participation in the study was voluntary, parents had to consent

to children’s participation. Data collection was by face-to-face individual interview. Analysis of interview transcripts revealed

varying patterns of reactions to parental divorce. Emotional and behavioural reactions commonly reported by participants include

shock, disbelief, sadness, anger, confusion, loss, betrayal, rejection, abandonment and humiliation. Age, gender and varying

family circumstances were found to have influenced participants’ reactions to parents’ divorce.

Keywords: Parental divorce, children’s reactions, family dynamics, emotional and behavioural reactions, non-custodial parent,

financial status, remarriage.

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Although divorce is a major loss to children, however, not

all...