'Don't feel the world is caving in': Adolescents in divorcing families

Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) Monograph No 6

 

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Content type
Research report
Published

December 1988

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Overview

This book examines the stereotype of the 'maladjusted teenager from the broken home' and finds it unfair and misleading. Comparing adolescents from currently divorcing families with those from intact families, the author finds no differences in adjustment. High family conflict and poor parent-child relationships are linked to poor adjustments in both family groups. Rejected or stifled adolescents do poorly whether parents are together or apart. Interviews were conducted with intact (n=41) and divorcing (n=37) families. At least one parent from each family type but only one adolescent were interviewed. Standard measures of the Offer Self Image Questionnaire (OSIQ), the Neuroticism Scale Questionnaire (NSQ), the Langner measure and the Parent Bonding Inventory (PBI) were used with the adolescents. While the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the NSQ and the Langner measures were used for the parents. The book provides both quantitative results based on standard measures and qualitative data from adolescents' own accounts: it concludes with suggestions for parents and policy-makers.

This survey was commissioned by the Australian Institute of Family Studies as part of its Australian Family Re-formation Project.

ISBN

0-642-11922-8

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