Divorce from the child's perspective

Abstract

This study presents parental divorce from the perspectives of children who have lived in either joint custody with equal time-share, or in the custody of their fathers. The reported experiences are compared to those in the research conducted with children who were in the custody of their mothers. This study follows a qualitative research design. Interviews were informal using semistructured open-ended questions. Data was analyzed following an emergent design based on the constant comparative method. The findings and outcomes focus on the common themes identified in the data. Four participants were recruited through the use of purposive sampling. The participants were between the ages of 13 and 23, their family life experiences were very different with the one common factor being that their parents were divorced. The findings demonstrate that children experience life in a family with divorced parents in the same way, whether they are living with their mother or their father. As indicated by the participants in this study, living with divorce is difficult and having support is needed. However, there is a lack-of resources and support for families living with divorce. Children need to feel supported and accepted by both their parents, along with feeling accepted by their community and group of peers. Longitudinal research is needed on how children pe ceive life in the custody of fathers and on joint custody with equal time-share.