|
Previous Page
The Children's Research Centre,
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
CHILDREN'S
EXPERIENCE OF PARENTAL SEPARATION IN IRELAND
by
Dr. Diane Hogan, Ann Marie Halpenny, Dr. Sheila Greene
This
project is being carried out by the Children's Research Centre
at Trinity College, Dublin in association with ACCORD, Barnardos
and Teen Between. We are also working with representatives from
the Family Mediation Service. Work began on the project in November
1999 and it is due to be completed in July 2001. The project
is funded by the Department of Social, Community and Family
Affairs.
Background
Parental
separation is part of a process of family change, which is distressing
for both adults and children. Changes occur at a time when adults
may be least capable of supporting their children because of their
own distress and anxiety. The project aims to gain an understanding,
from children's own perspectives, of the impact of parental separation
on their lives, relationships, school experiences and lifestyles.
A key objective will be to identify children's support needs,
both formal and informal, at critical times both during and after
the process of parental separation and to examine implications
for a child-centred approach to family policy
Details
of study
Children
in middle childhood (8-10 years) and adolescence (14-16 years)
will be interviewed using qualitative methodology. In-depth individual
interviews with children and adolescents will explore:
* children's accounts of events at the time of their parents'
separation
* the impact of this process on their everyday lives
* their understanding of and beliefs about parental separation
* their feelings about the separation process
* how they coped with the changes which resulted
* their contact with and experience of support services.
Contribution
to future family policy
This
study has the potential to add a new dimension to Irish Family
Policy. It asks children to tell their own stories of their experience
of parental separation and, specifically, to give their perspectives
on services and systems existing under current policy provision.
In this way, it will contribute a highly valuable element to the
direction of future policy provision - that of children's own
voices.
Confidentiality and ethical considerations
All
information given in the interviews will remain completely confidential.
Names and addresses of participants will not be disclosed at any
time.
The study will be approached from the ethical standpoint that
children who may be vulnerable must be offered support in relation
to research participation. Children will be interviewed in supportive
environments, provided by the partner agencies. If children wish
to discuss further the feelings that arose during the research
sessions, we will refer them to an appropriate service.
CAN
YOU HELP US? We would like to:
* include 30 children aged 8-10 and 30 aged 14-16, whose parents
have separated within the last 5 years
*
interview one or more children in a family
*
contact some children who are receiving support through a service
and some who have not received any such support to date
*
include children from a range of different social and economic
backgrounds.
We
would be very grateful if you could assist us in identifying children
to participate in the study.
|
