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Behind the Eyes of Adolescents from Broken Families

Article in Journal of Humanities and Education Development · March 2023

DOI: 10.22161/jhed.5.2.5

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 ISSN: 2581-8651 Journal of Humanities and
Vol-5, Issue-2, Mar-Apr 2023
Education Development
https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/jhed.5.2.5
Peer-Reviewed Journal (JHED)

Behind the Eyes of Adolescents from Broken Families

Keisha Charisse O. Digon

Received: 16 Feb 2023; Received in revised form: 16 Mar 2023; Accepted: 24 Mar 2023
©2023 The Author(s). Published by TheShillonga. This is an open access article under the CC BY license
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of adolescents from broken families. This utilized an
in – depth interview to gather responses from six (6) participants who were within the range of 13 – 19 years old, enrolled in
Junior or Senior High School, have parents who were formerly married but separated in a period of 5 - 10 years (during the
child’s early childhood to adolescence period based on Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of Development), and live in a
province in the Philippines. The following themes, family as an emotional system, emotional setbacks, changes in their
interpersonal relationship, acts of rebellion, went through the stages of grief, friends as support system, faithfulness in God,
and hopeful and moving forward were derived from the study. Children from broken families displayed emotional distress that
affected different aspects of their lives, but despite this challenging reality of being part of broken families, the participants of
this study remained hopeful about their future. Indeed, the love and support of their loved ones served as a motivating force
for them to be optimistic in life.
Keywords— lived experiences, adolescents, broken families, family systems theory, five stages of grief
I. INTRODUCTION
Families are considered to be the child’s first results to alterations in family roles and interactions.
communal group in the society. They are regarded as a Children are the ones who suffer the most when their
dynamic system since they do not live in isolation and they parents separate. Parents are expected to give proper care,
are part of a larger cluster (Saikia, 2017). A family plays a support, and love to their children since they are considered
very important role in an individual’s life may it be in terms to be the children’s first environment and most significant
of shaping the person’s personality, beliefs, and capacity. people in their lives. Thus, children who are products of
Subsequently, an incident in the household can affect his or parental separation grow up as adolescents who are prone to
her whole well - being since the different foundations delinquent and risky behaviors and substance use than those
namely the moral, spiritual, emotional, psychological, and from intact families (Vanassche et al., 2013). These children
social development of a person stems from one’s kin. are also reported to have a higher chance of dropping out of
Ideally, a child views family as those who bring comfort and school, engaging in premarital sexual behaviors, acquiring
warmth; however, if they can bring serious tolls in their depression, and among the others (Anderson, 2014).
domestic life such as parental separation, abuse among However, not all children with separated parents are at risk.
family members, and neglect, it will leave him or her to Some evolved as achievers and lived with exuberance
contemplate on how to cope with heartache, betrayal, (Widyastuti, 2017).
uneasiness, or doubt. Given the circumstances, this allows Having separated parents is one of the causes of
the child to have a shattered belief of what a family is. broken home which is an increasing and alarming trend
Dysfunction in the family occurs when conflict happening in various parts of the world (Saikia, 2017).
and misbehavior happen in the household regularly which Statistically, Asia has a relatively lower percentage
results in neglected, abused, abandoned, manipulated, compared to Western countries. Over the years, various
deprived, and isolated children. Likewise, children coming researches have been conducted to explain the rapid growth
from broken homes tend to grow up emotionally scarred, as of marital disruption, which is the primary cause of a broken
triggered by repeated trauma and pain inflicted by their home. In the Philippines, it was specified by the Solicitor
parents’ words and actions. These adverse childhood General’s Office that there has been a distressing number of
experiences and invisible scars can impact a person into annulling marriages which is persisting every year. In 2010,
adulthood. Consequently, changes in the family structure, 8,283 marriages were annulled in contrast to 2001 where
as well as the dynamics in the household, are evident which only 4,520 were nullified (Tumangday, 2015).

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 Digon Journal of Humanities and Education Development (JHED)
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Despite the significant findings on parental localization, classification of school, and socioeconomic
separation and dysfunction in the family, very few studies status.
have explored the lived experiences of children from broken Part II entailed the participant’s personal
homes. experiences of being in a broken home. The semi – structured
In view of the current conditions, this study aims interview guide was comprised of ten questions which
to explore the experiences of adolescents from broken answered the following: causes of parental separation, effects
families to acquire a better understanding and excavate experienced by the adolescent, familial relationship, and
immense knowledge on their insights and challenges as an coping strategies.
individual. The substantial information gathered from this Three experts with post graduate degrees in the
study may hopefully address pervasive concerns of the area of study validated and modified the instrument by
adolescents, parents and family members, school removing unnecessary items and made sure that it gave more
administrators, and mental health professionals such as insight and connotation to the study being conducted.
psychologists and guidance counselors.
According to Lincoln and Guba (1985, as cited in
Pandey & Patnaik, 2014, the trustworthiness of qualitative
II. METHODOLOGY research can be addressed using the following criteria: (a)
The researcher utilized the qualitative research credibility (in preference to internal validity); (b)
design, specifically the phenomenological approach. A transferability (in preference to external validity); (c)
qualitative research pertains to the type of inquiry where the dependability (in preference to reliability) and; (d)
researcher tries to grasp claims based primarily on confirmability (in preference to objectivity).
constructivist perspectives with the intention of creating In gathering and analyzing the data, the researcher
themes from the data collected. A phenomenological study used Moustakas’ transcendental phenomenological approach
focuses on what the participants have in common as they because it has systematic steps in the data analysis procedure
experience as a specific phenomenon (Moustakas, 1994). and guidelines for assembling the textual and structural
The transcendental phenomenology approach aims to focus descriptions. The following procedural steps were followed:
on the totality of experience by viewing both experience and The researcher identified first the possible
behavior as a combined and inseparable relationship of the participants for the study. Given the nature of the study,
subject (Moustakas, 1994). purposive sampling technique was used. Next, possible
This research on the adolescents from broken participants were given letters of consent and parental
families utilized the purposive sampling method. assent to acquire their approval as participants of the study.
Moustakas (1994) stated that 3 – 7 participants are sufficient In addition, the purpose, objectives, and expected benefits
in conducting a phenomenological research. Participants from the study were also explained.
were gathered based on the following inclusion criteria Upon obtaining the participant’s consent to
formulated: (1) within the range of 13 – 19 years old; (2) partake in the research, a schedule for the interview was
must be enrolled in Junior or Senior High School; (3) arranged depending on his or her availability. The
parents must be married but separated or annulled in a interviews were recorded through audiotape with
period of 5 - 10 years (during the child’s early childhood to permission from the participants. The researcher spent
adolescence period based on Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial ample time to be with them and wrote down important
Stages of Development); (5) lives in a province in the details. Each interview lasted for one (1) to two (2) hours
Philippines. per visit. The researcher made verbal and non-verbal
The researcher utilized a semi - structured observations as well, all throughout the research process.
interview guide as the primary data gathering instrument for All information presented were taken seriously, thus, the
the in-depth interview to understand the lived experiences of researcher verified it with the participants until saturation of
adolescents from broken families which generated the data, which is repetition of the same information all over
following information: again during the follow up interviews, was reached. Lastly,
Part I: demographic profile participants’ lived experiences were analyzed, major
themes were identified, and then a framework that was
Part II: participant’s experiences of being in a
created.
broken home
Since this study is purely qualitative in nature and
Part I consisted of the psychosocial profile of the
sought to explore the lived experience of adolescents from
participants. It included the participants’ age, grade level,
broken families, their stories were analyzed using

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J. Humanities Educ. Dev.- 5(2)-2023

Moustakas’ phenomenological approach. The first person they believe that they are responsible for their parents’
reports of life experiences are what make phenomenological separation and reconciliation. Separation may create
research valid. The principles adopted by this insecurity as well which might possibly serve as a hindrance
phenomenological research are epoche, phenomenological and threat to the child’s development.
reduction, imaginative variation and synthesis. Significant changes were vividly seen before and
The researcher secured the anonymity of the after the separation. For some, they have difficulty
participants by removing all biographical identifiers and establishing secure attachments with either one of their
utilized pseudonyms during the course of the research. parents, siblings, relatives, and other people whereas for
Likewise, she held all information strictly confidential. She others, they formed a closer bond with the most important
ensured the protection of all participants from potentially people in their lives. Changes in the interpersonal
harmful consequences that might affect them as a result of relationship generate anxiety. Bowen believes that too
their participation. much closeness or distance significantly affects the level of
anxiety brought by the external stress and sensitivities
(Haefner, 2014). Although an emotional cutoff happens,
III. RESULTS, DISCUSSION, AND triangling provided a detour as the child seeks for the
IMPLICATIONS support of another parent. Nevertheless, it was also believed
The following themes were derived from the that risky behaviors engaged by these adolescents can be
study: family as an emotional system, emotional setbacks, counteracted by the warmth and emotional connectedness
changes in their interpersonal relationship, acts of rebellion, of a family.
went through the stages of grief, friends as support system,
Rebellion serves as a triggering response to a
faithfulness in God, and hopeful and moving forward.
hostile situation. A child who witnessed his or her parents’
Families are considered to be a child’s first painful divorce is more likely to involve in risky and
communal group in the society. They play a very important negative behaviors such as engaging in vices such as
role in an individual may it be in shaping the person’s alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, running away from home, and
personality, beliefs, and capacity. All of the six participants cutting classes. Adolescence is an age of exploration and
shared a common theme in assessing family as a system of experimentation. Alcohol, tobacco, and drugs are very
emotionally interconnected individuals. They believed that powerful substances in which adolescents are inclined to try
what makes up a family is love, support, and guidance. (Haley et al., 2018). Needless to say, parental divorce has
Bowen’s Theory highlights family as a unit who use been known to increase the risk of alcohol and drug
systems to describe complex interactions. Thus, the family dependence in one way or another as the use of these
members are interconnected with each other emotionally substances has indicated a dysfunctional family system
(Haefner, 2014). Hence, in one’s most cherished and valued (Jackson et al., 2016; Swarbooi, 2013). The structure of a
relationships, he or she may seek recognition, acceptance, family definitely affected the individual’s development as
understanding, support, and guidance. Emotional intimacy those who have separated parents tend to display
runs deep as it paves the way for the person to experience misconduct and delinquent behavior and they are also prone
ultimate relationship security and satisfaction. This is to smoke cigarettes, use illicit drugs, and consume large
considered as important because it serves as an adhesive amounts of alcohol (Loke & Mak, 2013).
which holds relationships together.
Parental separation can be traumatic for a child and
Separation during school age years may have a it is indeed rare for a person to never undergo the stages of
great impact in the child’s life as it can affect the grief. Separation does not only occur to the parents but to
socioemotional aspect and overall well-being of the the child as well. The grief cycle does not specifically
individual. Psychological disturbances may be evident follow a significant pattern as they may interchange
during the separation but in other cases, it manifests when depending on how the person copes. Correspondingly, one
they get older. These individuals tend to be vulnerable moves through recovery at his or her own pace like for
emotionally as they face the dreaded consequences of the example, experiencing depression before anger or skipping
separation. The school age years is a critical stage of rapid a stage of bargaining and straight to acceptance. These
development. Some studies have indicated that children situations show that each person experiences his or her own
between 6 – 12 years old are more affected by the separation emotional journey as they process, struggle, and adjust to
than those who are older (Desrosiers, Cardin, & Belleau, whatever changes happens to the family. Grief takes place
2013). Consequently, these children are very egocentric and when the individual experiences emotional trauma or
are still in a magical thinking. In this age group, they may suffering and it usually occurs when someone or something
hold on a wish that their parents will get back together since

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J. Humanities Educ. Dev.- 5(2)-2023

essential to that individual’s life has been taken away Each individual has an ideal perspective of what a
(Smith, 2012). Furthermore, a person displays five reactions family is. It is commonly believed that a family should be
in response to a crisis situation which are popularly known composed of a father, mother, and children, and what holds
as DABDA and these are denial, anger, bargaining, them together is the love, guidance, and support for each
depression, and lastly, acceptance (Holland & Neimeyer, other. This connotation is easily shattered by dissolution of
2010). marriage either through annulment or separation, mostly
Friends serve as a strong support system for caused by extramarital affairs. Moreover, parental
adolescents. At some point in one’s life, he or she separation negatively impacts a family as it causes serious
experiences unpleasant circumstance that makes them feel distress and various adverse effects mostly to children. It
a variety of emotions such as frustration, sadness, anger, and paves the way for an increase in risky behaviors and
among the others. Additionally, being with peers provides delinquency such as engaging in vices, running away from
the adolescents an open, supportive, and rewarding pace home, among others. Academic, behavioral, and emotional
which helps in managing an emotional turbulence problems are evident among the adolescents as well.
happening in one’s life. These individuals seem to cope Peers play an essential role in the adolescents’ life
better with them rather than adults. Adolescence is mainly acting as a social and emotional support during
considered to be a period of social latency and these crises situations. Although for some, they are unable to
individuals tend to spend more time with friends. express their feelings due to the development of the lack of
Furthermore, peers do not only play a substantial role in trust because of the separation of their parents despite the
shaping and affirming one’s identity but they are also availability of their support system. These adolescents may
essential in such a way that they aid in helping them cope have incurred hardships and trials but it did not stop them
life stressors and protecting them from psychological from dreaming and pursuing their goals in life. Some may
distress (Camara, Bacigalupe, & Padilla, 2013). have fell off the track and questioned God but later on, they
Despite the heartaches caused by the separation renewed their faith and trusted Him in everything.
which could have easily led these adolescents away from
God, they turned to Him for comfort and healing. Praying IV. CONCLUSIONS AND
to God gave them strength to shy away from the pain and RECOMMENDATIONS
overcome every struggle that comes in their way. The
Based on the significant findings of the study, the
literature suggests that parental separation predicts a decline
following conclusions are made:
of giving importance to faith and religion (Ueker & Ellison,
2012). In contrast, the participants of this study appear to (1.) Most of the participants whose parents have
have a heightened faith in God since they entrust in Him separated during their school-age years engaged in vices
their lives. These adolescents chose to look on the brighter such as smoking, drinking, and drugs. Two participants
side of life. They believe that there is no problem too big reported an incident of running away from home. Rebellion
which they cannot solve with God’s grace and guidance. may have occurred during their adolescence period because
they were not able to understand well and express their inner
Although parental separation is considered to be
sentiments when the separation happened. (2.) Parents have
one of the most stressful life events for both parents and
been assumed to lack influence over the adolescent since the
children, moving forward will always be a choice. One may
parental influence lessens as the child enters the adolescent
experience traumatic events in life which may hinder him
stage due to increasing influence of peers and due to young
or her on becoming his or her full potential but life does not
people spending less time at home. Peers commonly served
stop there. These adolescents have the drive to succeed in
as the cornerstone and support system of these adolescents
their chosen careers and most dream to give their family a
with dysfunctional families. (3.) The separation either
better life ahead. Filipinos are known for being culturally
strengthened or diffused the closeness of their relationship
independent and self – reliant. They tend to focus more on
with various people such as their parents, siblings, relatives,
positive and productive actions rather than dwelling on
friends, and other people respectively. (4.) The adolescents
certain incidents since they have the capacity to bounce
all went through the stages of grief namely denial, anger,
back and recover (Docena, 2015). Being resilient does not
bargaining, depression, and acceptance, but doesn’t
mean that the individual does not experience distress and
necessarily mean they followed the order consequently. (5.)
difficulties but rather, he or she remains headstrong despite
Most of the participants stated that hanging out with their
the traumatic events. Just like the participants, they continue
friends and praying gave them a peace of mind. These had
to believe that they will succeed in life, may it be in terms
helped them cope very well in life. (6.) Although these
of career or family.
adolescents have experienced hardships in life, they never

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J. Humanities Educ. Dev.- 5(2)-2023

gave up on their dreams and aspirations and continued to only focused on those with separated parents, they may opt
stay positive and chose to move forward. for individuals who were also neglected and abused. Future
Children from broken families display emotional researchers may gather participants from a different age
distress that affected different aspects of their lives. But group (i.e. Millennials) in the light of a different
despite this challenging reality of being part of broken perspective.
families, the participants of this study remained hopeful
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