Broken Families

A family is the basic unit in society, it is also the smallest unit in society; barangays and
communities are composed of families. However, despite the simplicity of the word,
scholars have argued on creating a universal definition of family (Munro B. 2003; Munro
G. 2003). The held argument is founded on the question, what composes a family. Does
a family only include your closest blood relatives or is it composed of everyone included
in your family tree. Trost J. (1990) conducted a study wherein she gathered samples of
those who considered only their closest relatives to be their family; this type of family is
labeled as the nuclear family. There are also those who have a wider range for their
family, they include various other kin, friends and even pets. There also religions
which consider everyone in their religion to be their brother/sisters. Scanzoni J. (1989)
stated that the common family is composed of two parents and their child/ children.
A broken family is when a biological family is separated due to various reasons that may
result in single- parenting, step families or blended Families. Many broken families are
due to divorce, some of the most common reasons of divorce are adultery, desertion
and if the marriage is full of arguments. Broken families have become rampant today, 1
in 3 Americans is a member of a step family. Majority of children who are living in single
parent homes are living with their biological mother rather than their biological father.
Divorce or the separation of parents has an intense psychological effect on the childs
behavior some of the negative effects are behavior and learning problems, emotional
issues, high levels of parent child disagreements, low levels of parent child interaction
and adjustment problems. Separation causes mostly negative effects on the children

involved, very rare are the cases where children become better because of their parents
separation. Some may strive and succeed in life but this is only due to their motivation
to achieve their goals despite being the product of a broken family.
Children who come from broken families tend to act out on peers, have a negative
attitude towards work and studies and may refuse to listen to authority. Many juvenile
delinquents come from families which do not have a healthy relationship. Openness and
communication within family members is a very vital factor so that these children grow
up fine, despite being the product of a broken family. In fact studies show that children
who had a close relationship with their parents (biological or foster) had fewer behavior
problems (White & Gilbert , 2001).
Children tend to have emotional issues when it comes to sensitive issues such as this.
When change occurs such as the death of a parent, separation or when a parent remarries, the child will have a hard time adapting to the new situation. If the child is used
to having 2 parents in the house then he/she may feel uneasy and depressed at the
loss of 1 parent. Children may act out and resent the parent that left them, they may
also feel hatred towards the parent with them thinking that they were the one that drove
their family to this. The new life they are now living is not what they asked for, the child
just wants to live the life he/ she has become accustomed to. Knowing that this may
seem close to impossible makes them sad, angry and makes them feel mixed emotions
about life. A guidance counselor or even just a friend may be of very significant use,
anyone whom they can vent out on is very helpful (Bigner, 2002).

Children will not be in terms right away with their foster parent. Studies show that boys
often feel resentment and act out when a stepfather is introduced. This may be due to
the fact that his position as the man of the house is to be passed on to someone he
barely knows. During the absence of the father, the son will feel the responsibility of
taking on the duties his father used to do. Though he may not be able to earn money for
the family, he may help in taking care of his siblings, do chores around the house and
sometimes even become protective of who his mother dates (if she decides to). Even in
movies it has always been portrayed that the son will take over during the absence of
the father. Children who will be meeting their step parent for the first time may feel
uneasy and closed. They are not ready to have their biological parents replaced by
someone their parent met somewhere. When you marry a woman with children, youre
also marrying her children. (Muzi, 2000)
After the separation of the parents, the child tends to spend more time alone or with
peers, rather than with the parent they are staying with. Freeman (2002) claims that
boys who are a product of separation tend to resist directions and go and follow their
own will. On the other hand girls tend to become closer with their mothers. However,
children may drift away from their parent even more when the present fails to discuss
vital issues such as financial matters to them for the child feels that they do not
understand the situation (Bigner, 2002).
Children who come from broken families will have a hard time adjusting to the changes.
Not just the changes with their parents, but the changes that come along with
separation. They may change schools, and if they do not feel motivated they may have
trouble with their academic works. If they moved to a new city then they will have to

make new friends, and if they just came from a sad traumatic experience then the child
will not be in the mood to make friends. Adjustment for the child will be a challenging
phase, physically and emotionally, it is important that the child tries to maintain a
healthy relationship with his/ her peer and parents. (Anderson 1999).
The effects of separation also vary, depending on how old the child is, a toddler will
react differently compared to a teenager. How the child will react will be based on what
he/ she understands. An Infant may not understand the conflict, but will be able to tell
the difference in the parents mood and atmosphere.