Abstract

Drawing on a three-year multidisciplinary study of children of divorced parents, the authors, leading academics in their fields, present a much-needed guide to understanding the experience of children who are experiencing parental separation. This book provides an in-depth account of how children are actively involved in the process of divorce and how they shape that experience. The topics discussed include how children find out that their parents are separating; how children tell other people about what is happening to them and their family; how parent-child relationships change after separation and ways in which children adapt and cope during and immediately after their parents' divorce.

The authors show what children want and need to know as the process of divorce unfolds and how professionals can respond appropriately to help them to understand and adjust to their changing circumstances. Divorcing Children addresses the weaknesses of current legislation in family justice and suggests ways of improving the skills and knowledge of all professionals who work with children during this difficult period in children's lives.

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
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
Ian Butler is Professor of Social Work at Bath University and is currently seconded to the Welsh Assembly Government where he is Cabinet Advisor on Children and Young People's policy. He has published widely in the area of childcare practice and public policy. Lesley Scanlan is a Research Associate based in the Family Studies Research Centre, Cardiff University. Margaret Robinson is a Senior Research Associate based in the Family Studies Research Centre, Cardiff University. Gillian Douglas is a Professor at the Law School, Cardiff University. Mervyn Murch is a Professor at the Law School, Cardiff University, and has 30 years' experience in social care research.
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