DIVORCE, PARENTAL NEGLECT AND CHILDREN’S WELLBEING: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ABCX FAMILY STRESS ADAPTATION MODEL, THE EXPERIENCE OF CUSTODIAL FAMILY IN ADDIS ABABA

Abstract

Family functioning is affected and caused by the stress and the resulting crisis from divorce. The phenomenon of divorce is increasing in Ethiopia yet little is known about how divorce and the subsequent parental child neglect affect children’s wellbeing. This study aimed to explore the experiences of divorce, appraisal, resources to adjust the crisis and children’s wellbeing. To achieve this objective a qualitative design was followed with the lens of phenomenological approach. The Double ABCX Family Stress adaptation model employed to guide the study. Seven families as participants were purposefully selected. Interview and documents were the main sources of data collection. Data were analyzed from pre-crisis to post-crisis level of family functioning through Thematic Analysis. Findings at a pre-crisis level revealed: Religious orientation, sex orientation, violence, difficult personality and infidelity, conflict over inheritance, low commitment were found factors of pre-crisis family disfunctioning. Post-crisis level of data analysis also showed that religion and support from extended families as resources while they had negative feeling, avoidance, hope and optimism, positive regret, self-reliance among experiences reflected by families. There were also manifestations of maladaptation and bon adaptation to divorce by families and to protect the wellbeing of children families hide information and were overprotective. Hence, wider community awareness and family education programs at the all levels of social work intervention could promote reduction of divorce, which indirectly contribute to the minimization of the impact on children. Overall, families in this study employed various coping and problem-solving strategies to overcome the adversity of divorce and adapt to the changes in their family structure and relationships