Overview

Compiled by the Australian Institute of Family Studies from a report of a survey conducted in 1982-83 and commissioned by the Institute as part of its Australian Family Re- formation Project. The study was based on children aged 6 to 8 at the time of divorce.

It examines children's perceptions, obtains standardised measures of adjustment and other behavioural outcomes and included a control group of children from intact families. Findings challenge some standard assertions about how family instability affects children. The most important finding is that it is family conflict per se that damages children, rather than their presence in a particular family type. Such conflict is more evident before the separation/ divorce than after it and counselling support is therefore just as important prior to family separation as after divorce. Firmer efforts are required in both the family law system and the system of social security to ensure that no family with children has to survive at or below the poverty line. Many children in one- parent families do very well in terms of emotional adjustment, self- esteem, coping independently at school. What marks off such children is their comparative poverty and resources for achieving higher levels of education.

Contents

• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• Foreword
• 1 Conceptual Issues and Relevant Research
• 2 Method
  • Designs
  • Respondents 
  • Data collection 
  • Sample characteristics 
• 3 Results of Parent Interview 
  • Access and maintenance 
  • Effects of separation on the parent 
  • Housing
  • Finances
  • Health
  • Child care
  • Extended family
  • Friendships
  • Leisure 
  • The child's behaviour 
• 4 Results of Teacher Interview 
• 5 Results of Child Interview
  • Friendships
  • Other relationships
  • Attitude to family
  • Changes in family
  • Attitude to self
  • Three wishes
  • Self-esteem
  • Reading test
  • Discussion of children's interview results
• 6 General Discussion
  • Practice implications
  • Limitations of the study
• 7 Conclusion
• List of References
• AIFS Original Data Collection
• Australian Family Re-formation Project