Divorcing Children

Reviews / Votes

This is an excellent book that should be read not only by all professionals dealing with children but also by parents and wider family. The quotations from the young people powerfully describe the situation in which they, through no fault of their own, find themselves. -- Child and Family Social Work There is a wealth of first-hand accounts by children. The research shows clearly the extent of crisis felt by the children, their need to understand what was happening and what would follow, and their need for emotional comfort. However, the study also highlighted these children's skills and resilience. The work is very relevant for a wide range of social care staff. -- Care & Health Magazine This straightforward book is an effort to better understand the process of divorce through children's eyes. It provides an expanded overview and discussion of a British study that carefully reviewed the experiences of 104 children, aged 7 to 15, with their parent's separation and divorce... For the most part, this book accomplishes what it has promised to do. Important findings include the common experience of a sense of crisis in these changes for many children, some inconsistency in meeting their needs for reliable information and a variable sense of being adequately supported. Interesting themes were; difficulty communicating with fathers, value of support from friends, and a sense of involvement without understanding the legal process. Direct quotes liven children's emotions, struggles and successes... This study provides a useful way to keep the child's experience at the forefront for parents, clinicians, and others who seek to support these children. This should be of interest to those who work within the legal context or who seek to shape the legal system and public policy in this area. -- J Can Acad Child Adolescent Psychiatry The objective of the book is admirable as its aim to expose and address "the ambiguity that inhabits much of our thinking about children in contemporary Britain". It is very important that the views expressed by children in the study are brought to the attention of practitioners and policy-makers alike to whom I recommend the book. Improvements in practice are dependent on the availability of research such as this. -- Scolag