“Keeping balance”, “Keeping distance” and “Keeping on with life”: Child positions in divorced families with prolonged conflicts

Ragnhild Hollekim,Ottar Ness,Anette Christine Iversen,Jan Stokkebekk

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.04.021

Ragnhild Hollekim, Ottar Ness + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.04.021

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Journal: Children and Youth Services Review	Publication Date: Apr 22, 2019
Citations: 14	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: University of Bergen

Abstract

A dominant storyline of divorced families in prolonged conflict is children portrayed as victims without agency. How does this fit with how children position themselves in prolonged post-divorce conflicts? In this qualitative study we pose the following research question; how do children position themselves to challenges in post-divorce family conflict, and how is family conflict positioning children? This paper draws on in-depth interviews with nine children (10-16) years old. Positioning theory is used as an analytic tool to explore child subject positions. Three dominant subject positions emerged in the analysis: keeping balance, keeping distance and keeping on with life. While our analyses show that prolonged conflict is oppressive to the family system, it is argued that each dominant position represents resistance against threats to the child’s wellbeing, dignity and being a child in a family. Implications for child and family services with respect to separated families in prolonged conflict are discussed.

Highlights

In Norway, 25,000 children experience their parents’ divorce and separation each year, and one of four children live in a family constellation other than with both of their parents (Statistics Norway, 2018)
Sibling respondents had in most cases different dominant subject positions, while in some cases they shared dominant positions but with different subpositions
The dominant positions children took varied, some of the positions were more typical for adolescents while other positions where typical of early adolescents

Summary

Introduction

In Norway, 25,000 children experience their parents’ divorce and separation each year, and one of four children live in a family constellation other than with both of their parents (Statistics Norway, 2018). Most families adjust successfully to the new family structure after 2–3 years of recovery from initial disruptions from the separation, it is estimated that 10–15% of separated households are characterized by parents in prolonged conflict (Hetherington, 2002; Mahrer, O'Hara, Sandler, & Wolchik, 2018; Thuen, 2004; Wiik, 2015). Parents are encouraged to give their children permission to participate in the mediation process (up to seven sessions), to voice their opinion (e.g. on their future living arrangements) or to promote psychosocial support during family transition (Thørnblad & Strandbu, 2018). Parents are encouraged to solve their issues in family mediation, a considerable number of custody disputes are brought to court. In 2014 and 2015, cases concerning custody and contact amounted to 16 per cent of all civil disputes in the Norwegian district courts (Bernt, 2018)

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