Family breakdown

Family Breakdown - the Effects
The effects of Families breaking up are different from person to person. You may feel OK about it all; on the other hand you may face difficulties. 
Some feelings that you may be able to relate to:
* You may feel worried and insecure after a family breakdown. Everything you believed to be permanent in your life has suddenly changed.
* Anxiety can cause -nightmares, low concentration, lack of sleep, loss of appetite, comfort eating amongst others.
* You may worry about your own future relationships. It may make you become very careful about choosing your future partner. You may also vow never to get married. This is very common in young people who have witnessed their parents split up.
* Your parents may look for support from you by tellingyou their problems. If you are uncomfortable with that it is OK to let them know. If you are uncomfortable telling them or not sure how to tell them talk it over with a school counselor.
* You may feel torn between the two of your parents.
* You might want to blame one particular person for the break up. This would mean that all your anger is directed at that person. It is hard to be fairwhen angry and worried in this way.
* Roles may change in the family; you might have to do some of the things one of your parents used to do like looking after your younger siblings
Family breakdown and its impact on children
On a range of outcomes including educational achievement, behaviour, mental health, selfconcept, social competence and long-term health, there are significantdifferences between
children who experience parental separation compared with children from intact families.
Although the difference between the two groups is generally statistically significant, effect
sizes are nevertheless small, reflecting the fact that within both groups, children vary widely
in their experiences. Children from intact families can experience circumstances known to
increasethe risk of poor outcomes such as poverty, parental conflict, violence and poor
parenting, whilst children whose parents separate may not experience these or can cope
well, with the result that many children experiencing family breakdown will function as well
as, or even better than, children from intact families.
While family transitions place children at an increased risk of negativeoutcomes, the
evidence shows that relatively few children and adolescents experience enduring problems,
and some children can actually benefit when it brings to an end a ‘harmful’ family situation,
for example where there are high levels of parental conflict, including violence. Long-term
effects in adults, who as children have experienced family breakdown, include problems with
mentalhealth and well-being, alcohol use, lower educational attainment and problems with
relationships.
There are significant differences within and across family types, and simple comparisons
between different family types can mask much of the variation that exists. Stepfamilies, for
example, vary enormously and living in a more complex stepfamily, where both parent and
stepparent have broughtchildren into the ‘new’ family has been associated with more
adjustment problems than in a stepfamily where all the children are related to the mother.
In terms of outcomes, the differences between children within family types can be greater than
across family types. This suggests that family functioning, and not family type, is of greater
significance.
How does it affect school?
Schoolcan provide a refuge or diversion from family worries. It is often the one major focus of a child's life outside home and can be a key source of stability and identity that's not linked to family. On the other hand, when a child is feeling powerless at home, then school can be the place where their frustration erupts. "Sometimes school can be the last straw," says Paula Hall. "How well they do...