BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The psychological impact of parental divorce or separation upon children has long been debated. There is a wealth of quantitative research which offers contradictory findings yet young people who experience their parents' divorce or separation are over represented in the clinical population. Qualitative research has offered support that children are active in the process of divorce and has developed understanding about the lived experiences of young people. There have been few studies that take account of the experiences of young people in late adolescence from a clinical population. Adolescence is understood as a key transitional phase whereby a sense of self is developed. Nevertheless, little research specifically explores how young people reconcile this disruptive life event with their emerging sense of self. In an attempt to address this gap in the literature, this study sought to hear the narratives of young people, with the aim to further understand and inform clinical practice. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative approach was employed. A purposive sample of five females aged 16 years old and currently receiving support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services were recruited. An interview was conducted with each participant to explore the young person's narratives. These were audio-recorded and transcribed. Narrative analysis was used paying attention to both what was said, how it was said and for what purpose. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS: Initially each narrative was considered individually and the researcher's 'Global Impressions' were presented . Following this, the narratives were considered collectively, recognising the shared storylines. Each person's unique connection with the shared storyline was considered, through attending to the participants' emotional experiences and identity work that was interwoven in their stories. It was found that each young person presented accounts whereby their mother's emotional absence was a dominant storyline. In relation to this experience the young people performed the identity of being mature and taking on additional responsibilities. They additionally narrated accounts of coping with their difficulties alone. It emerged that stories of an imagined future were missing from the narratives. These findings are discussed with reference to the clinical implications, strengths, and limitations of the methodology, and directions for future research .

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The project comprised two Phases. Phase 1 - the Impact study, investigated the adverse effects of divorce on twenty-eight mothers and on their eldest or only adolescent or pre-adolescent child, by means of a semi-structured interviews. Major divorce effects for the mothers included downward economic mobility; anxiety; a sense of bereavement; generalized insecurity; guilt; depression; resentment; anger; heightened stress; diminished self-esteem and lack of confidence. Short- and long-term divorce-effects comparisons suggested that mothers adapted to their circumstances, with time. The children experienced varying degrees of deprivation; painful disruption in their lives, anger; frustration; depression; low self-esteem; and grief and sadness at separation from their fathers. Phase 2- the Intervention study, examined the effects of maternal counselling and lifeskills training on an experimental group of eighteen divorced mothers and their eldest or only adolescent or pre-adolescent child. Mothers and children completed pre- and post-intervention measures, i.e. batteries of psychometric tests. Test results were compared with those of a like waiting list control group (of ten), assessed before and after a time interval equal to the training period of the experimental group. The counselling/lifeskills training programme included twelve sessions conducted at weekly intervals, which embraced divorce-related issues, single-parenting, child-management, lifeskills teaching, discussion periods and homework assignments. Post-intervention measures revealed statistically (and clinically) significant changes for experimental group mothers, but not for untreated controls. These included significant decreases in depression, parenting stress and overindulgence to children and a significant increase in self-esteem. Post-intervention measures for the untreated experimental group children revealed two statistically significant results, namely, increases (from baseline to the end of their mothers intervention) in General self-esteem, and decreases in egocentric, overindulged behaviours. Training effects were maintained or improved at a six-month follow-up.

Thesis (M.A. (Social work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017. / The overall aim of this study is to explore factors that contribute towards divorce among young couples in the Lebowakgomo area of Limpopo Province. The objectives of this study were to identify factors contributing towards divorce among young couples in Lebowakgomo, and to establish whether the causes of divorce among young couples in Lebowakgomo are the same as those identified in the literature. The research used the qualitative method in the study and the exploratory research design to investigate the factors contributing to divorce among young couples at Lebowakgomo Township. The target group was divorced young adults up to the age of 35 years who had been married for the period of not more than ten years. The researcher used snowball sampling because he knew someone who met the criteria for inclusion in this study. The sample size was based on the principle of saturation which suggests that data collection stops when there is no new theme emerging. The researcher reached a point of saturation at participant six. The researcher used the semi-structured interview to collect data. This allowed the researcher to elicit information about the respondents’ thoughts, feelings and perceptions as open-ended questions were used. The researcher used Interpretative Phenomenological Data Analysis (IPA) which allowed the researcher to explore in detail how the participants made sense of their personal and social world. This study found that sudden character change, lack of and poor communication, financial problems, abuse and infidelity are associated with divorce among young couples. It also emerged in the study that mastering all the stages of family life cycle can reduce the chances of divorce among young couples. This can be achieved by ensuring that young couples receive pre-marital counselling before they enter into marriage. In addition, after entering into marriage young couples should attend marital enrichment programmes.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Universiteit van Suid-Afrika, 2001.

Les difficultés rencontrées par les populations immigrées sont le reflet exacerbé des inégalités sociales subies par les autres usagers dans les domaines de l’emploi, du logement, de la précarité… ; mais, en outre, du fait même de la migration, de profondes mutations sont vécues au sein de la sphère familiale avec une recomposition des rôles et des statuts, une nouvelle conception de l’autorité…. Soumises à rude épreuve, les relations intergénérationnelles et conjugales génèrent notamment des crises familiales pour lesquelles les institutions sont sollicitées. Aux difficultés de toute intervention sociale auprès des familles s’ajoutent, dans ces situations conflictuelles, des éléments liés à la diversité culturelle et à l’intégration, deux termes qui entretiennent un rapport ambigu et font l’objet de débats dans la société française.Bien que le mandat et les missions des assistants de service social s’inscrivent dans un cadre institutionnel et une éthique commune, les modes d’intervention en contexte migratoire sont multiples et divers, marqués par un style personnel de penser et d’agir, oscillant entre les deux pôles de l’"universel" et du "particulier". En étant chargés par les institutions d’accompagner les immigrés dans le processus d’intégration, les professionnels sont, bien entendu, porteurs de représentations sociales qui les amènent à agir de telle façon plutôt que de telle autre, au nom de certaines valeurs.Dans ces situations de crises intrafamiliales, la présence de l’altérité, de valeurs et de modèles culturels différents, révèle le « soi professionnel » des praticiens et fait émerger leurs représentations des conduites des immigrés. Ces représentations révèlent ainsi leurs systèmes de valeurs et les préjugés, leurs affects, de même que les attributions de sens et les jugements qui interpellent le fondement même de leurs rôles professionnels. Les représentations sociales remplissent une véritable fonction d’orientation des pratiques tout en exerçant une fonction identitaire en déterminant comment un groupe social donné se perçoit et perçoit les autres groupes avec lesquels il est en interaction.L’étude de la relation entre la perception des conduites sociales et culturelles des immigrés et les pratiques des Assistants de Service Social est au cœur de notre travail de recherche. La thèse vise à déterminer les différentes représentations en présence, les facteurs liés à leur émergence et leur rôle dans le choix du mode d’intervention. / Social disparities endured by social service users are exaggerated when encountered by immigrants: in employment, accommodation, precariousness… Besides, as a result of the migration itself, family spheres experience deep transformations through the re-composition of roles and status, through a new conception of authority. Relations between generations or inside the couple are put to the test, and sometimes generate family crisis for which institutions can be solicited. Any social intervention implies difficulties, but in addition to those conflicting situations in families, other elements must be considered, which are connected to cultural diversity and integration – both ambiguous terms that are very controversial in French society.Social workers’ mandate and missions belong to common institution and ethic, but the ways of intervention in a migratory context are multiple and diverse. They are the result of personal methods of thinking and doing, fluctuating between the ‘universal’ and the ‘particular’. Professionals are in charge of helping immigrants throughout the process of integration, and have of course their own social representations that lead to act one way or another, for the sake of certain values.In those situations of internal family crisis, otherness and cultural and value models bring the practitioner’s ‘professional self’ to the light and reveal his/her representation about the immigrants’ behaviour; value system and prejudice, affects, interpretations and judgements put a question to the very foundation of their professional roles. Social representations orientate practices and also fulfill an identity function by determining how a certain group conceive of themselves and of groups they interact with.The study of the relation between the immigrants’ social and cultural behaviour and the Social Workers’s practices is the central point of this research. The dissertation aims to determine the different representations at stake, how they come out and influence the mode of intervention.

Text in Afrikaans / The adolescents touched by their parent's divorce often display certain behavioral problems, such as withdrawal, aggression, and deterioration in academic performance, total apathy and misconduct. These adolescents experience mixed feelings in their period of distress. When one gets behind the reasons for certain behavior, the adolescents usually confess that the parents' divorce affected them. Parents often do not think about the emotional implications their divorce has on their children. Authors differ about the age at which children are influenced the most by their parents getting divorced. This study confirms suspicions that although adolescents want to break ties with their parents, they still feel threatened when their parents split up. During serious conflict in the family, the divorce is sometimes perceived as positive. The study makes everybody involved with the adolescent aware of the emotional disruption and the influence a divorce could have on their daily functioning. / Die studie oor die belewinge van die adolessente in die enkelouergesing as gevolg van egskeiding, spruit voort uit waarnemings tydens die interaksie met adolessente wat deur die ouers se egskeiding geraak is. Sodanige adolessente toon dikwels sekere gedragspatrone, soos onttrekking, aggressie, verswakking van akademiese prestasie, algehele lusteloosheid en wangedrag. Wannneer hulle genader word, ontken hulle dikwels dat iets skort. Hulle wil nie anders beskou word as ander adolessente wat nie in dieselfde situasie verkeer nie. Die ondersoek toon dat adolessente gemengde gevoelens in hulle tyd van nood ondervind het. Wanneer wel agter die rede vir die teruggetrokkenheid of aggressie of verswakkende akademiese prestasie gekom word, erken adolessente gewoonlik dat die ouers se egskeiding hulle onderkry. Ouers dink dikwles nie aan die emosionele uirwerking wat hulle egskeiding op die kinders het nie. Skrywers verskil oor die ouderdom waarop kinders die meeste deur die ouers se egskeiding beinvloed word. Die respondente in hierdie studie bevestig vermoedens dat, alhoewel adolessente hulself wil losmaak van die ouers, hulle wel bedreig voel wanneer die ouers uitmekaargaan. Tydens ernstige konflik in die gesin word die egskeiding tog soms as positief ervaar. Dit beteken egter nie dat dit vir hulle maklik is nie. Wanneer daar voor die egskeiding min konflik is en die verblyfreelings daarna vir die aolessent aanvaarbaar is, is die aanpassingsproses gewoonlik makliker. Die studie maak alle betrokkenes by die adolessent bewus van die emosionele ontwrigting waaraan hy blootgestel word en die uitwerking wat dit op sy alledaagse funksionering kan he. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans / The adolescents touched by their parent's divorce often display certain behavioral problems, such as withdrawal, aggression, and deterioration in academic performance, total apathy and misconduct. These adolescents experience mixed feelings in their period of distress. When one gets behind the reasons for certain behavior, the adolescents usually confess that the parents' divorce affected them. Parents often do not think about the emotional implications their divorce has on their children. Authors differ about the age at which children are influenced the most by their parents getting divorced. This study confirms suspicions that although adolescents want to break ties with their parents, they still feel threatened when their parents split up. During serious conflict in the family, the divorce is sometimes perceived as positive. The study makes everybody involved with the adolescent aware of the emotional disruption and the influence a divorce could have on their daily functioning. / Die studie oor die belewinge van die adolessente in die enkelouergesing as gevolg van egskeiding, spruit voort uit waarnemings tydens die interaksie met adolessente wat deur die ouers se egskeiding geraak is. Sodanige adolessente toon dikwels sekere gedragspatrone, soos onttrekking, aggressie, verswakking van akademiese prestasie, algehele lusteloosheid en wangedrag. Wannneer hulle genader word, ontken hulle dikwels dat iets skort. Hulle wil nie anders beskou word as ander adolessente wat nie in dieselfde situasie verkeer nie. Die ondersoek toon dat adolessente gemengde gevoelens in hulle tyd van nood ondervind het. Wanneer wel agter die rede vir die teruggetrokkenheid of aggressie of verswakkende akademiese prestasie gekom word, erken adolessente gewoonlik dat die ouers se egskeiding hulle onderkry. Ouers dink dikwles nie aan die emosionele uirwerking wat hulle egskeiding op die kinders het nie. Skrywers verskil oor die ouderdom waarop kinders die meeste deur die ouers se egskeiding beinvloed word. Die respondente in hierdie studie bevestig vermoedens dat, alhoewel adolessente hulself wil losmaak van die ouers, hulle wel bedreig voel wanneer die ouers uitmekaargaan. Tydens ernstige konflik in die gesin word die egskeiding tog soms as positief ervaar. Dit beteken egter nie dat dit vir hulle maklik is nie. Wanneer daar voor die egskeiding min konflik is en die verblyfreelings daarna vir die aolessent aanvaarbaar is, is die aanpassingsproses gewoonlik makliker. Die studie maak alle betrokkenes by die adolessent bewus van die emosionele ontwrigting waaraan hy blootgestel word en die uitwerking wat dit op sy alledaagse funksionering kan he. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)