Nursery World - Carers advised on family upheaval

Young children facing traumatic upheaval at home after the divorce or separation of their parents are often more ready to express their feelings in actions rather than by talking to adults, according to a report for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. And, while official statistics indicate that 70 per cent of children affected by divorce will be under the age of ten, the report by researchers at Leeds University found that children aged between five and nine do not necessarily want more opportunities to talk about their home situation to people they see as strangers. 'Single-minded concentration on divorce as a major trauma was something of an adult perspective,' it said.

And, while official statistics indicate that 70 per cent of children affected by divorce will be under the age of ten, the report by researchers at Leeds University found that children aged between five and nine do not necessarily want more opportunities to talk about their home situation to people they see as strangers. 'Single-minded concentration on divorce as a major trauma was something of an adult perspective,' it said.

The researchers interviewed children aged between five and nine at four primary schools in the north of England with a wide range of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. The children dealt with their emotional difficulties in various ways, ranging from distraction through play, escape by going to bed to sleep 'so that they could wake up feeling better', to displaying anger and distress.

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