In my thesis, I mainly explore the changes that children face during parental separation or divorce. I also concentrate on post-separation relationships up to the present day in primary and reorganized families. A part of my research has also focused on different forms of support that children have received after parental separation or divorce. In the empirical part of the research, I aimed to explore how children experienced parental separation or divorce, what changes they faced because of separation or divorce, and what forms of support and help they received at the time. The research was done through a qualitative analysis of eight interviews with young adults who had experienced parental separation or divorce during their childhood and adolescence.
The research has shown that separation or divorce has left negative as well as positive effects on children. Each of them coped with the experience of divorce in their own way, and each of them received different forms of help. Some divorces have been less complex, while other separation or divorce processes have been very difficult and stressful. Children's distress was compounded by the lack of discussions about separation or divorce with their parents. Separation or divorce is linked to their future life, as they are now more aware of the importance of good communication, but also more attentive to the relationships within their own partnerships. Through separation or divorce some people have lost their ability to relate with others as well as their independence, however, they have also gained a lot. They mentioned that separation or divorce had made them more self-confident, more flexible and that their life had become more peaceful and beautiful.
|