Divorce set to be on the rise

You’ll Hurt Me Too…

48% of parents split before their child’s 16^th birthday, a survey has shown.

With just 6 in 10 children living at home with both parents, divorce is becoming a bigger issue than ever before. Here at the WBS School, we spent the day investigating these facts and debating how divorce affects a child’s education.

We began by asking Mr Peacock, deputy head at The West Bridgford School, who said that the impacts of divorce can make pupils lives complicated, adding that the initial effects can have a big impact on a pupil’s emotions. He later referred to the aftermath of divorce, admitting that in some cases, disputes are resolved, and thing can settle down. “The number of times pupils are unable to hand in homework because they’ve left it at the other parent’s house…” He said.

According to a recent study at Ohio State University, a marriage that's breaking up harms children's self-esteem and academic performance even before the split occurs.

When asked, many teachers agreed that divorce has a ‘massive’ effect on a child’s school work. However, many agreed that parental divorce could be a good thing if both adults are civil.

The director of the learning centre, a group designed to support pupils, said that if both parties are friendly then divorce can be for the better. She added that while some children do get upset, others adjust positively to their new surroundings.

Many find it difficult to adjust to the implications that come with divorce, and we asked the school how they help pupils cope. The school claims to be as supportive as possible during this difficult time, adding that resources such as the learning centre provide quiet places for the pupils to work if they become distressed. Pastoral support is also a key way to introduce communication between a school and home environment. 

With divorces set to be on the rise, we ask you to stop and think about how it affects are children.

By Ella, Anna, Callum, Izzy, Vic and Jamie, reporting for BBC School Report.