The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experience of an only-child adolescent’s lived experience of parental divorce. Gestalt field and phenomenological theory in conjunction with current literature provided an overview of the theoretical underpinnings pertaining to the study. A qualitative research approach with a case study of an only-child adolescent dealing with parental divorce was conducted in an ethical manner by means of two face to face, one-on-one, in depth interviews. Two main themes were identified. The first being experienced feelings associated with grief and bereavement, which revealed feelings of anger in the notion that the participant’s childhood was lost as a result of the divorce and being caught between the parental conflicts. The participant seemed to take it upon herself to take care of those significant to her in fear that she would lose them and that the loss would continue to be repeated. It was further revealed that when the only-child adolescent felt a loss of her own identity she in turn felt out of control. The second theme identified was; experience pressure due to being an only-child. Pressure in being an only-child was very significant surrounding the participant. The participant shared a great deal of feelings pertaining to feeling lonely and longing for a sibling. As parents in divorce situations seem to be focussed on their divorce often the child suffers from stress and the unrealistic expectations parents often have surrounding their children. In this study the only-child could not seem to cope with the pressure and in times of despair made use of coping mechanisms, mainly that of cutting to compensate for the emotional pain experienced. The researcher is of the opinion that the study delivered new found awareness into the only-child adolescent’s lived experience of parental divorce and is in hope that the new found results are utilised as a platform for further studies about this vulnerable population. / MSW (Play Therapy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The aim of this study is to measure the perceived parental attitudes of Turkish college students towards dating and premarital sexual behavior and to examine how these attitudes differ with respect to gender of the students and parental marital status. The participants of the present study were 160 college students. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire, with two scales, which were measuring perceived parental attitudes toward dating behavior and perceived parental attitudes toward premarital sexual behavior. Results indicated that, both gender of students and parental divorce affect students&rsquo / perceived parental attitudes toward premarital sexual behavior / with the use of Wilk&rsquo / s criterion, both of the DVs were significantly affected both by gender F(2,155) = 14.85, p &lt / .01 and parental divorce F(2,155) = 23.42, p &lt / .01, and by their interaction F(2,155)= 10.84, p&lt / .01. There was a significant gender difference about perceived parental attitudes toward premarital sexual behavior / male students perceived their parents&rsquo / attitudes as more permissive toward premarital sexual behavior, but female students perceived their parents&rsquo / attitudes as less permissive toward premarital sexual behavior. However, in terms of parental attitudes toward dating, there was no significant difference due to gender. There was also a significant difference in perceived parental attitudes in terms of parental marital status with respect to dating and premarital sexual behavior. Children of divorced parents perceived their parents&rsquo / attitudes in a more permissive way, however children whose parents are still married perceived their parents&rsquo / attitudes as less permissive, toward both dating and premarital sexual behaviors. The interaction of gender and parental marital status were both significant due to perceived parental attitudes toward dating behavior F(1,155)= 12.41, p&lt / .01 and due to perceived parental attitudes toward premarital sexual behavior F(1,155)= 19.80, p&lt / .01. In terms of perceived parental attitudes toward dating, females whose parents are divorced tend to perceive parental attitudes significantly more permissive than females whose parents are married, whereas males whose parents are divorced did not significantly differ from the males whose parents are married. Moreover, males whose parents are married tended to perceive parental attitudes significantly more permissive than females whose parents are married toward dating behavior, whereas females and males whose parents are divorced did not significantly differ. In terms of perceived parental attitudes toward premarital sexuality, both females and males whose parents are divorced tend to perceive parental attitudes significantly more permissive than females and males whose parents are married, however the difference between females whose parents are divorced vs. married is significantly larger than the difference among the males whose parents are divorced vs. married. Moreover, males whose parents are married tended to perceive parental attitudes significantly more permissive than females whose parents are married toward premarital sexual behavior, whereas females and males whose parents are divorced did not significantly differ. Department of the student, city mostly lived in, father education, mother education, and number of siblings of the student were not found to be correlated with the perceived parental attitudes of college students toward dating and premarital sexual behavior. The results of the present study are discussed in the light of the literature, and limitations and future suggestions are presented.

Abbiamo esaminato il ruolo della separazione coniugale e del genere nello spiegare il coinvolgimento in processi familiari disfunzionali, le difficoltà di separazione-individuazione e il benessere psicologico dei figli giovani adulti. È stata privilegiata la dimensione etica dei rapporti tra le generazioni, espressa nelle percezioni di giustizia e cura nelle relazioni familiari. Un primo studio, quantitativo, è stato condotto su un campione di 264 soggetti tra i 20 e i 30 anni, provenienti da nuclei separati e intatti, a cui è stato somministrato un questionario self report. I figli di separati tendono ad esprimere più marcatamente sentimenti di ingiustizia relativi alla famiglia d'origine, e ad enfatizzare la propria indipendenza affettiva dai genitori. Le femmine esprimono un maggiore sovraccarico legato alla cura emotiva dei familiari, riportano tendenze depressive e più intensi timori di perdere l'affetto dei genitori . Nel secondo studio, sperimentando un approccio metodologico composito, abbiamo approfondito il tema dei confini generazionali e delle difficoltà di separazione-individuazione in un piccolo campione di giovani donne provenienti da genitori separati. Abbiamo riscontrato che la transizione all'età adulta risulta rallentata dalle responsabilità di cura assunte verso la madre, o al contrario accelerato, nel bisogno di prendere le distanze da lei. Nel terzo studio, illustrando alcuni dei risultati emersi attraverso l'analisi di due casi, abbiamo rilevato la significatività della funzione paterna per la separazione delle figlie nei nuclei monogenitoriali successivi alla separazione coniugale. / We examined the role of parental divorce and gender in young adults' involvement in dysfunctional family processes, as well as in their difficulties of separation-individuation and their psychological well-being. The first study is quantitative and was conducted with a sample of 264 subjects, aged between 20 and 30, who filled in a self report questionnaire. Results showed that children of divorced parents express more feelings of unfairness towards their family of origin, and emphasize their emotional independence from their parents. Females feel the burden of emotional caregiving for their parents more than males and are more vulnerable to depression. Moreover, females are more afraid of losing their parents' love. In the second study we used a mixed method approach to study generational boundaries and separation-individuation difficulties in a small sample of young women with divorced parents. Results showed that the transition to adulthood may either be hindered by the emotional burden of children's responsibilities towards the parents (especially the mother) or accelerated by the need to put one's familiar experience at a distance. In the third study, through two case studies, we explored some of the results obtained in the multimethodological section. This analysis suggested the importance of considering the role of the paternal function in helping young women separate from their mothers in single parent families.

This exploratory study was written with the intent to inform educators of the impact that divorce may have on children, of possible factors contributing to the resiliency in children of divorce, and of possible intervention efforts on the part of educators. An extensive literature review presented various perspectives from researchers, authors, and theorists. Developmental theorists such as Erickson were paralleled with empirical evidence collected by researchers such as Wallerstein. Studies including a meta-analysis by Amato (2001) were presented in discussions of the possible outcomes for children of divorce. Long-term outcomes were considered from the perspective of a sociologist and a journalist. Positive parenting skills were offered by experts such as Brooks (2005). A qualitative study of the reflective experiences of adult children of divorced parents was also initiated to determine the accuracy of the literature review and to encourage further research in this area. This thesis involved a self-administered survey of eleven adult children of divorce, while analysis of the survey data utilized a modified form of Grounded Theory. <p>Findings from the survey and the literature review demonstrated the need for relevant educational programs and professional development of educators. It also revealed that programming for parents should include significant elements of motivational and transfer-of-learning techniques, and that programs promoting positive reflective thought are needed for adults emerging from childhood divorce experiences. <p>The descriptions of emotions and behaviours disclosed by the participants of the survey were compelling and direct, offering convincing insight into the impact of parental divorce. Participants indicated that parents, and other significant individuals, did not understand what they were feeling. Most participants could recall individuals or groups that did intervene positively in their lives; one mention was made of teacher concern about possible depression. The participants offered insight into positive and negative parental behaviours, and their reflective discussions suggested that one significant outcome of parental divorce was the impact it had on the parent/child relationship, as well as the suggestion that a difficult transition into adult relationships was often a result of this experience. Although significant research has been accomplished on the short-term impact on child development, investigation into the long-term outcomes of parental divorce has received minimal attention, possibly making it difficult for educators to have concrete data to draw upon. <p>The research strongly suggested that there may be a population of individuals that could benefit from educational programs that focus upon their experience as children of divorce. It is my conclusion that an appropriate educational context of constructive reflection and support can contribute positively to the well-being and quality of life for children of divorce.

This exploratory study was written with the intent to inform educators of the impact that divorce may have on children, of possible factors contributing to the resiliency in children of divorce, and of possible intervention efforts on the part of educators. An extensive literature review presented various perspectives from researchers, authors, and theorists. Developmental theorists such as Erickson were paralleled with empirical evidence collected by researchers such as Wallerstein. Studies including a meta-analysis by Amato (2001) were presented in discussions of the possible outcomes for children of divorce. Long-term outcomes were considered from the perspective of a sociologist and a journalist. Positive parenting skills were offered by experts such as Brooks (2005). A qualitative study of the reflective experiences of adult children of divorced parents was also initiated to determine the accuracy of the literature review and to encourage further research in this area. This thesis involved a self-administered survey of eleven adult children of divorce, while analysis of the survey data utilized a modified form of Grounded Theory. <p>Findings from the survey and the literature review demonstrated the need for relevant educational programs and professional development of educators. It also revealed that programming for parents should include significant elements of motivational and transfer-of-learning techniques, and that programs promoting positive reflective thought are needed for adults emerging from childhood divorce experiences. <p>The descriptions of emotions and behaviours disclosed by the participants of the survey were compelling and direct, offering convincing insight into the impact of parental divorce. Participants indicated that parents, and other significant individuals, did not understand what they were feeling. Most participants could recall individuals or groups that did intervene positively in their lives; one mention was made of teacher concern about possible depression. The participants offered insight into positive and negative parental behaviours, and their reflective discussions suggested that one significant outcome of parental divorce was the impact it had on the parent/child relationship, as well as the suggestion that a difficult transition into adult relationships was often a result of this experience. Although significant research has been accomplished on the short-term impact on child development, investigation into the long-term outcomes of parental divorce has received minimal attention, possibly making it difficult for educators to have concrete data to draw upon. <p>The research strongly suggested that there may be a population of individuals that could benefit from educational programs that focus upon their experience as children of divorce. It is my conclusion that an appropriate educational context of constructive reflection and support can contribute positively to the well-being and quality of life for children of divorce.