ERIC Number: EJ1369824
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023-Apr
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0044-118X
EISSN: EISSN-1552-8499
A National Survey of Children's Experiences of Parental Separation and Support Needs in Australia
Ridout, Brad; Fletcher, Jennifer; Smith-Merry, Jennifer; Collyer, Brian; Dalgleish, John; Campbell, Andrew
Youth & Society, v55 n3 p494-523 Apr 2023
We used a mixed-methods online survey to recruit 616 young Australians whose parents had separated, to understand their experiences and how to better support them throughout the separation process. Persistent themes included conflict, lack of communication and agency, mental health concerns, and feelings of confusion, frustration, loss, and grief. Some suggested it would have been useful to talk about reasons for the separation, their rights, opinions and feelings, with some indicating the separation process affected their ongoing mental health and relationships. There was a general preference for face-to-face counseling, closely followed by online counseling and online peer-to-peer support, indicating that a "one size fits all" approach is not suitable for young people. Young people should be offered services early in the separation process that can be extended in content to other issues such as new partners, school life and mental health, and continued beyond the timeframe of the separation process.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Children, Young Adults, Parents, Divorce, Experience, Preferences, Court Litigation, Courts, Social Support Groups, Family Environment, Communication (Thought Transfer), Family Relationship, Psychological Patterns, Mental Health, Personal Autonomy, Needs
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A