Children's Perceptions of the Dimensions of Divorce and its Effects on School Life

This study investigated children’s perceptions of divorce and its effects on school life. Data was collected using qualitative research methodology with children in grades 5-8. The children comprised a purposeful sampling to maximize the variation in opinions and included children of various cognitive abilities (gifted and non-gifted), from intact and not intact homes. The data collected through in-depth interviews was reduced into common themes which were compared and contrasted among the groups and with the themes that emerged from the literature review. Divorce is an ever increasing phenomenon which affects all children (Allers, 1981). Studies (Brown, 1980; Guidubaldi & Perry, 1984; Hetherington, 1981, Wallerstein & Kelly 1980) showed that the impact of divorce on children includes decline in grades, maladjustment incidents, and health problems. These research questions were considered: Are there different perceptions of divorce and its effects on school life among the four groups (gifted-intact, gifted- not intact, non-gifted-intact, and non-gifted-not intact) of children? What is the nature of these differences? Are there common themes for all four groups? Do the emic (respondents’) responses differ from the etic (literature review) responses? Is there a model that depicts this relationship? In this study, the common perception of divorce was that it splits a family. Parents were seen as a single unit. Divorce was seen as a change agent causing effects in cognitive and affective school behaviors. The school was seen as a place to moderate or neutralize these effects. Most children whose parents had experienced divorce saw their parents as individuals and a family concept remained intact but the membership changed. All groups saw love and understanding as the most important aspects of marriage and family life. The respondents were divided as to whether schools should or should not supply special programs for children of recently divorced parents. The respondents emphasized feelings of self blame, the hope that parents will reunite, and the fear of abandonment more than other themes seen in the literature. The responses of gifted children demonstrated an awareness of other person's points of view and an appreciation of the multiple consequences of divorce.