Counselling Program for Students of Divorced Parents

Abstract

Divorce has enormous impacts on students’ academic performance and mental health. During the divorce process, children are exposed to traumatic experiences that can affect them for a lifetime. Today, the divorce rate has significantly increased in the U.S., exposing the challenges the marriage institution faces. With the rising cases of divorce and its effects on students, stakeholders must design appropriate programs and policies to address this problem. This program focuses on creating awareness about the causes, consequences, and coping strategies to divorce among affected students. The program’s need arose from the extensive literature review that reveals a massive gap in helping students deal with the effects of divorce. The target population is students aged 14 years and above. The program will occur on the 10^th and 11^th of June, 2023. Data will be collected through records and documents accessible online. Thematic analysis will be deployed to analyze the data. At the end of the project, students should show reduced anxiety, depression, and stress, improved academic performances, high self-esteem, and increased awareness regarding the causes, effects, and strategies for coping with divorce.

Keywords: Divorce, Divorce Guidance and Counselling 2023 Program, academic performance, coping.

Introduction

Divorce can have a massive impact on the family, especially students who must battle the effects of a broken home or family to pursue academic excellence. During divorce, the effects on children are often adverse. While some students usually respond to divorce more naturally and understandingly, others often struggle with the effects of living with a single parent. Divorce can result in numerous challenges, including poor academic performance, lost interest in social activities, problems in adapting to change, anger, emotional sensitivity, mental health issues, and the introduction of destructive behaviors. It is essential to note that kids living with both biological parents or adoptive parents are only a third like to have repeated a grade in school compared to those staying with single parents. According to Chimienti (2021), around 50% of marriages usually end in divorce, while 45% of children often live with single parents by the age of 18 in the U.S. While kids may adapt well to divorce, around 20-25% of the students often develop mental health issues or adjustment challenges twice the rate that children living with both parents experience (Chimienti, 2021). Significantly, divorce has enormous impacts on students, with most students staying with single parents more likely to score lower grades in school. With the increasing rate of divorce and its effect on students, this program seeks to educate children of divorced parents on approaches to coping with divorce and improving their academic and life performances.

The program’s mission is to educate students of divorced parents on coping with the impacts of divorce to improve their academic performance. Owing to the harmful effects of divorce on children’s mental health and academic achievements, these kids require extensive mental health counseling to help them deal with the impact of divorce. The program targets students, specifically those coming from divorced families. These learners either stay with their mothers or fathers. Besides, the program targets students aged 14 years and above. The counseling program would be conducted at XYZ High School, identified as the perfect location due to the number of target participants and the impact of divorce in the surrounding communities. The program will focus on addressing the following questions:

• What are the effects of divorce on students’ mental health and academic performance?
• What are the approaches to coping with the effects of divorce?

These questions will be answered through thorough research, focusing on secondary data from peer-reviewed articles and journals. Further, the program will benefit the entire community, including students, their parents, the school, and the surrounding community. Students will learn effective strategies for coping with the impacts of divorce. Learners are expected to experience improved mental health status and academic performance after the program.

The program’s primary aim is to impart coping methods to students of divorced parents to ensure that they improve their academic performances. The program will also focus on the following objectives:

• Identify and understand the impacts of divorce on learners’ academic performance and mental health.
• Identify the most effective approaches to coping with the effects of divorce among students.

Literature Review

Researchers have examined the causes, impacts, and coping strategies to divorce among students and children. Eyo (2018) states that children are usually the most affected group by divorce as they are the most vulnerable parties. However, the impacts of divorce on students and children are not highly considered by parents, while researchers have also tended to ignore this group and focus on the parents. The author illustrates that divorce has massive effects on children, including mental health issues, poor academic performance, emotional distress, and economic issues that may affect them long term. At the same time, the authors contend that children of divorced parents might be subjected to enormous abuse, display hatred toward their parents, and unbalanced training and upbringing that might make them acquire poor behaviors from society. This article highlights the significance of parental upbringing in a kid’s life. It can be noted that the negative impacts of divorce on students significantly outweigh the positive effects.

Similarly, Ousman and Bulut (2022) examined the effects of divorce on middle and high school learners’ academic performances. The authors maintain that divorce cases have increased in recent times, leading to a massive rise in the rate of school dropouts, making it necessary to create awareness among parents, teachers, counselors, and social workers regarding how divorce affects students. Like Eyo (2018), Ousman and Bulut (2022) reveal that students of divorced parents often register poor academic performance than those staying with both parents. It follows that divorce has a massive effect on learners’ academic success, making it a fundamental topic to examine. Again, such students tend to drop out of school at a young age, primarily due to economic challenges brought about by parental separation. After divorce, students, especially in high school and college, pursue independence, focusing on creating financial freedom. In contrast, others, particularly those staying with single mothers, often try to fill the gap left by their fathers. Ousman and Bulut (2022) also report that parental conflict negatively impacts learners’ education. Other adverse effects identified in the study include anxiety symptoms, increased levels of physical behaviors like being out-of-seat, challenges in concentration, a rise in the rate of daydreaming, sadness and depression signs, yearning for the teacher’s attention, and the desire for increased physical interaction. The authors also report that schools are responsible and obligated to advance teachers’ awareness and skills to help them intervene and help students suffering from the adverse effects of divorce. Some of the suggested strategies in the article include organizing education programs to increase the awareness and knowledge among teachers while having instructors and school counselors take responsibility and question their values on divorce to place them in a better position to help students suffering from the effects of divorce.

Additionally, like Ousman and Bulut (2022), Babalis (2014) examined the impacts of divorce on students by focusing on behavioral changes and academic performances. The author reveals that family patterns impact students’ emotional growth and school progress. The study shows that children from single-parent families appear to have more behavioral challenges than those from families with both parents. For instance, students of divorced parents are twice as likely to have increased behavioral challenges, including social, psychological, and emotional issues. Specifically, children from divorced families have a 25% probability of experiencing mental health issues compared to 10% for those from their nuclear families (Babalis, 2014). One can note that students cannot register for better academic performances if they suffer from mental health challenges. It implies that divorce has a negative effect on kids’ academic performance. As a result, there is a need for increased awareness programs on divorce to inform teachers, parents, and children about how divorce can affect their children and the potential approaches for students to cope with it.

Moreover, kids from divorced families usually lack the proper mental and social development required to succeed in their academic and life goals. Sheoran (2021) reports that divorce often presents families with challenges, and there has been a rise in divorce cases over the past few years. It is essential to note that proper upbringing and parenting are usually required for learners to have a fruitful and uninterrupted life, including schooling and stable mental health. Divorce has a massive impact on children’s minds, with the effects transcending the areas of mental health and social relationships. Sheoran (2021) contends that the psychological effects of divorce can last longer. The research links divorce to poor mental health among kids. Other possible effects of divorce on students include substance abuse problems and psychiatric hospitalization during their adulthood. At the same time, the study provides evidence of less success among children within the realms of education, romance, and work (Sheoran, 2021). It is fundamental to note that adults who have been victims of divorce during childhood have low vocational and education achievements and enormous economic and employment challenges, highlighting the effects of divorce beyond childhood and adolescence. Again, such adults might also have significant relationship problems. With children of divorce losing contact with one of their parents, the study illustrates that this lack of connection can cause stress. The stressors that come with divorce make parental separation highly menacing and challenging for children. Sheoran (2021) highlights some stressors, including switching schools, moving to a different location, staying with a single parent who would be feeling highly stressed, and exposure to dangers such as drugs. After divorce, students also face massive financial challenges that may impact their ability to complete school, leading to a rise in the rate of school dropouts. Thus, divorce has devastating impacts on learners that teachers, school administrators, society, and parents should understand and address.

At the same time, Ashenafi and Ayenew (2021) report that divorce is associated with social, psychological, and economic effects on children and the divorcee. According to the research, kids who have experienced divorce are increasingly vulnerable to stress, depression, and acting out, while the traumatic events witnessed during divorce might affect them for a lifetime. When parents separate from each other, there might be disputes, including property and custody, that may impact the student’s psychological health, leaving them exposed to massive challenges they may carry for the rest of their lives. In the research, Ashenafi and Ayenew (2021) found that learners recorded higher academic results before the divorce. However, after the divorce, their academic performances plummeted, exposing the impact of the process on their academic and emotional well-being. Some factors associated with divorce include low self-esteem, which is needed for more robust mental well-being. With the massive impacts of divorce, teachers, schools, parents, and the community must help students during the transition to avoid the vast effects of divorce on their mental health and academic success.

Moreover, Iqbal et al. (2021) examined teachers’ perceptions of the effects of parental divorce the academic performance and socio-psychological behavior among students. The authors report that divorce subjects families to severe consequences, with the most affected being children, who are classified as the most vulnerable group in the divorce process. According to Iqbal et al. (2021), divorce has an enormously distressing impact on elementary students, challenges that transcend beyond childhood into adulthood. Akyina and Alubokin (2015) support these findings, maintaining the adverse effects of divorce on students’ behavior and psychological well-being. Specifically, the authors report that increased psychological distress and emotional negativity often accompany divorced families. Essentially, staying in a divorced family is a fundamental predictor of individual variations in the emotional and psychological commitment challenges. Again, adolescents from divorced families have more chances of showing antisocial behaviors and committing delinquent acts. Poor academic performance and antisocial behaviors are often associated with staying in divorced families. Similarly, children who grow up with single parents suffer from different mental challenges resulting from negative attitudes from peers and the school. As a result, divorce subject students to devastating problems that require an urgent solution.

The fault or guilt theory of divorce contends that one of the spouses can request the court to grant a divorce based on a specific fault that the other spouse has committed. In such a proceeding, it is essential to have a guilty party and the innocent one, with only the innocent party seeking the divorce remedy. This theory is fundamental in explaining the origin or cause of divorce, especially considering that divorce often arises from disagreements between partners in marriage. According to Basha (), when one of the parties is proven guilty of having committed an offense, including matrimonial wrongdoing, the aggrieved party is entitled to a divorce. It is essential to note that the fault theory considers marriage a sacramental union and a social institution where two people pledge to maintain and sustain their marital obligations. However, regardless of the promises and pledges, one party can seek dissolution for different reasons. Under the fault theory, the only ground for divorce is when one party has committed a matrimonial offense. This theory will be applied to understand the reasons and conditions required for a successful divorce. The literature shows that past researchers have not carefully and holistically examined the impact of divorce on children and students, especially the long-term challenges learners experience after divorce.

Program Development

Background and Description of the Program

The literature review has revealed that divorce has a massive impact on children since they are the most vulnerable group during the divorce process. It can be noted that around one of each two or 51% of divorces within Missouri and the U.S. usually involve children (Leon, 2023). While kids of divorced parents are often susceptible to issues, including depression, low self-esteem, aggression, and poor academic achievements, many often adjust successfully. Nevertheless, the adjustment process during this transition period can be highly stressful and take longer time. Children of divorced parents would typically experience the impacts of the divorce for between one and two years after the divorce.

Further, schools and teachers have a massive role to play in helping such students cope with divorce and build their mental health. According to Leon (2023), schools have a leading role in assisting learners in making a positive change and adjustment to their parent’s divorce. In line with this, schools can implement effective educational programs that help students understand the causes, effects, and strategies to cope with the consequences of divorce. This program would be an educational program where students will attend classes designed to help them cope with divorce and improve their academic performance. The program will adopt a partnership approach that encourages schools and families to work collaboratively toward a shared objective to ensure that all learners succeed in the school. The model entails two-way communication, appreciation of the strengths of families, and mutual problem-solving among the stakeholders.

Mission Statement

Strive to give students the best possible knowledge and skills to help them understand the causes, consequences, and coping strategies for divorce.

Vision Statement

To be the most effective educational program for divorce students in the country, where change would be achieved, and students’ well-being addressed holistically.

Need for Program

Chimienti (2021) reports that about 50% of marriages usually end in divorce, with 45% of children often living with single parents by the age of 18 in the U.S. While children may adapt well to divorce, around 20-25% of the students often develop mental health issues or adjustment challenges twice the rate that children living with both parents experience (Chimienti, 2021). At XYZ High School, an internal investigation has shown that around 7% of students live with single parents, primarily due to divorce. This is a massive number that cannot be ignored. While divorce has been identified as one of the primary factors affecting students’ performances at the institution, past administrations have taken little or no concern in addressing the problem. The rising population of children from divorced families and the literature research data motivated the need for the Divorce Guidance and Counselling 2023 Program. Initial data were collected from the school records and thorough online research, resulting in a comprehensive literature review. The data has been used as the basis for the program, which is expected to help address the problem at the school.

Target Population

The program targets students aged 14 years and above. The literature review has revealed a gap in research on the effects of divorce on children and the potential solutions to this problem. Again, research shows that children are the most vulnerable group during divorce, affecting them socially and psychologically. Kids whose families have experienced divorce may experience challenges relating to their peers, face stress and depression, and are increasingly less social. Therefore, this program focuses on students and children as the most susceptible group to the impacts of divorce.

Goals and Objectives

The program’s primary goal is to help students identify and understand the causes, effects, and coping strategies for divorce. The program will seek to address the following objectives:

• Identify the causes of divorce among families.
• Identify and understand the impacts of divorce on learners’ academic performance and mental health.
• Identify the most effective approaches to coping with the effects of divorce among students.

Format

The program will be accomplished in a 2-day workshop that will be held at the school’s social hall. The following table highlights the program format, including the date and time for every activity. The program will occur on the 10^th and 11^th of June, 2023.

Resources Needed

There are sufficient resources available for the program. The school has contracted an external counselor to work with the program coordinator and a team of four teachers to oversee the program’s success. Besides, the program has received enough funds, $10 000 from the Children’s Rights Council and $5000 from the school. Again, the school has availed the social hall to be used as the venue for the sessions. Further, the coordinator has identified community leaders and victims of divorce to join the program and help students due to their first-hand experience. The program team has also identified the JP Morgan Chase Bank, where a grant will be applied to facilitate other activities. Funds will be managed by the school’s bursar with approval and monitoring from the program coordinator.

Elements of Program Content

The program will focus on the following content areas:

• Causes of divorce.
• The effects of divorce on children and students.
• Coping strategies to divorce among students.

To holistically address these content areas, the following activities will be undertaken:

• PowerPoint presentation on the identified content areas.
• Group discussions among students and experts.
• One-on-one sessions with the counselor.
• Question and answer session.
• Role-playing among students to practice coping methods.
• Video – students will watch a video on peer testimonies on how they coped with divorce.

Expected Outcomes

The program is intended to achieve the following outcomes:

• Reduce the symptoms of divorce among students, including depression, stress, and anxiety.
• Increased awareness about the causes, effects, and strategies for coping with divorce.
• Improved academic performances among students.
• High self-esteem among the learners.

Program Evaluation

Program evaluation is fundamental in implementing the Divorce Guidance and Counselling 2023 Program. According to Owen (2020), evaluation is essential in allowing the program manager or coordinator to systematically assess the audience’s performance and identify the success areas and those that require improvement. Evaluation will help the coordinator and the team assess whether the program achieved its desired goals and objectives. The assessment also ensures that the program is accountable to the donors, decision-makers, and other stakeholders and ensures that the program management and implementers improve the delivery of the program’s desired outcomes.

Indicators

The following checklist will be used to measure the success of the program:

• Teachers should report the cessation of the symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and stress.
• Students register for improved performances in the following school test or exam.
• Increased confidence among the affected students.
• Students regularly visit the school’s counseling office to seek solutions for any remaining issues.

Data Collection

Data will be collected through a review and examination of documents and records. Document research would be done through a thorough internet search, using key terms and phrases to gather accurate data. Records will be retrieved from the school to identify the population of students with single parents and focus on the specific population. Due to increased availability, time, and cost-effectiveness, documents and records have been chosen as a data-gathering approach. Documents can be accessed online at low or no cost, making them the most available. Again, the researcher will not need to travel to meet participants face-to-face, which will be fundamental in reducing the cost of data collection. Further, documents and records are the most suitable method owing to the fact that data on divorce can be scarce to access.

Plan Timeline

After completing the program, an evaluation will be done after every test and exam the school will provide. During this time, the team will focus on the specific students’ performances in the program. The aim is to assess whether the learners register improved results in the tests and examinations they undertake following the program. Again, summative and formative evaluations will be done quarterly. These evaluations will be significant in assessing the progress and success of the program.

Analysis

Data will be analyzed using the thematic analysis approach. The thematic analysis involves identifying the recurring themes and analyzing the data based on these points. Thematic analysis is preferred because it has theoretical freedom, allowing increased flexibility as it can be adjusted to meet the researcher’s demands (Nowell et al., 2017). The thematic analysis does not require a detailed understanding of technological and theoretical methods, making it highly accessible. Generally, thematic investigation is simple and easy to use.

Value

The program will create extensive divorce awareness among stakeholders. Students and other stakeholders will understand the causes, effects, and potential solutions to divorce. The school and other organizations will use the findings, including the Children’s Rights Council. The school will use the results to implement effective strategies to help students of divorced parents. The principal and program coordinator will monitor the implementation by assessing student performance. Confidential information about participants will only be shared with consent. Findings will be shared with every stakeholder through email. There will be no need to obtain accreditation for the program.

Multicultural Considerations and Diversity Issues

The program considers multicultural issues, including race, color, nationality, age, physical and mental disability, sex, and gender. It is essential to note that the program will involve male and female students from all races. Again, only students aged 14 years and above. Learners below this age will not be included in the program. Further, the interests and needs of students with mental and physical disabilities will be considered in the program.

Ethical Considerations

The following ethical and legal considerations will be considered in the program:

Informed Consent – An informed consent will be sent to students above 18 years old. For those under 18, the consent form will ne sent to their parents for approval of participation. The consent form will contain information, including the goals of the program, reasons for participation, potential outcomes, and the possible risks of participating in the program (Jenn, 2006).

Anonymity – Participants’ confidential information, including their names and telephone numbers. Significantly, any self-identifying information will not be shared with any third parties without the consent of the students and their parents. Alternatively, data pseudonymization can be deployed to replace the self-identifying information with pseudonymous or fake identifiers. This will ensure that the students remain safe.

Confidentiality – After collecting the data, all the identifying information might be scrapped to ensure anonymity (Jenn, 2006). It is essential to note that all the participants have a right to privacy, making it necessary to ensure their information remains confidential.

Counselor’s Role and Scope of Practice – The counselor must remain professional and adhere to the professional code of conduct throughout the program.

Beneficence – the program is designed to help all stakeholders. Primarily, it will create an extensive awareness regarding the causes, effects, and possible solutions to divorce. Students will also learn various coping strategies to help them mitigate the negative impacts of divorce.

Redundant publication and plagiarism – The program content will be original. Any information from an external source will be appropriately cited. The findings will only be published on the school’s website, and hard copies will be distributed to different institutions’ offices for extended awareness.

Discussion and Conclusion

The Divorce Guidance and Counselling 2023 Program will be beneficial to all stakeholders, including the school administration, students, parents, and counselors. Significantly, the counseling field will massively benefit from the program. Today, it can be noted that there is a lack of sufficient research on the causes, consequences, and coping strategies for divorce. The program results will add to the body of current literature on divorce in the counseling field. Counselors can use the program’s findings to holistically understand the context of divorce, including the root cause and solutions. The results will also expose counselors to the most vulnerable groups to divorce. Again, counselors will gain a fundamental understanding of how to approach this problem in the future, based on the findings are recommendations derived from the present initiative. Besides counselors, clinicians will also benefit from the program’s results. It is essential to note that clinicians often interact with people suffering from similar symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and stress, that require similar services. At the same time, clinicians will gain a comprehensive understanding of divorce and gain expert experience to address the issue in practice. Overall, the program will benefit all stakeholders.

This program has various strengths that should be noted. One of the strengths is the flexibility, especially in monitoring and evaluation. With students taking exams with a specific timetable, it will be easy for the team to monitor the program’s success on a timely basis. The program is also comprehensive, with qualitative data bringing the ability to gain a detailed and holistic understanding of the problem. Qualitative data will also allow for detailed insights and recommendations into the problem. However, there are possible limitations to the program. It might be challenging to access all the required data, which may lead to the use of biased information. Future programs should consider students aged 18 and above because it would be easier to gain their consent. Further, a mixed method ensures that deep insights can be generated from the program.

References

Akyina, K. O., & Alubokin, B. (2015). Effects of divorce on parenting, psyche and behaviour of some selected public senior high school students in the Bolgatanga municipality of Ghana. International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE), 2(10), 67-76.

Ashenafi, A., & Ayenew, E. (2021). The Impact of Divorce on Student’s Academic Performance in Secondary School Students of Arba Minch Town, Ethiopia. Education Journal, 10(3), 78-82. http://dx.doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20211003.12

Babalis, T. (2014). The effect of divorce on school performance and behavior in preschool children in Greece: An empirical study of teachers’ views. Psychology, 5(01), 20-26. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/psych.2014.51005

Basha, S. S. (2020). Divorce under the fault and no-fault theory. https://districts.ecourts.gov.in/sites/default/files/2-Divorce%20Theory%20-%20by%20Sri%20Sikinder%20Basha.pdf

Chimienti, R. (2021). The effects of divorce on children’s academic achievement. University of Windsor.https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1229&context=major-papers

Eyo, U. E. (2018). Divorce: Causes and effects on children. Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 6(5), 172-177. 10.24203/ajhss.v6i5.5315

Iqbal, M., Khalid, M. S., Rehman, N., & Yanping, L. (2021). Parental Divorce: Impact on Socio-Psychological Behavior and Academic Performance of Students in Teacher’s Perception. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 62(6), 475-492. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2021.1925854

Jenn, N. C. (2006). Common ethical issues in research and publication. Malaysian family physician: the official journal of the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia, 1(2-3), 74-76. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4453117/

Leon, K. (2023). Helping children adjust to divorce: A guide for teachers. The University of Missouri. https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/gh6611

Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1609406917733847. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847

Ousman, Y. I., & Bulut, S. (2022). The impact of divorce on middle & high schools students. Journal of Psychology & Clinical Psychiatry (JPCP), 13(3), 66-69. https://medcraveonline.com/JPCPY/JPCPY-13-00716.pdf

Owen, J. M. (2020). Program evaluation: Forms and approaches. Routledge.

Sheoran, J. (2021). Effects of divorce on children: A critical analysis. Ilkogretim Online, 20(1), 6439-6444. http://dx.doi.org/10.17051/ilkonline.2021.01.665