THE PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF PARENTS SEPARATION TO THE ACADEMIC

PERFORMANCE OF NURSING STUDENTS

Statement of the problem

Major Problems:

1. What are the perceived effects of parents’ separation towards the academic

performance of the nursing students?

2. What is the relationship of parents’ separation to the academic performance of

nursing students?

Minor Problems:

1. How many nursing students are affected to the separation of their parents and

to their academic performance?

2. Do having separated parents can really affect the academic performance of the

nursing students?
Hypothesis

1. Parents separation do not affect the academic performance of the nursing

students

2. There is no significant relationship between parents separation to the

academic performance of the nursing students

Assumptions

1. Parents’ separation can affect the academic performance of the nursing

students because if their parents got separated usually emotional problems set

in that will lead to depression.

2. There is a relation between parents separation to academic performance of the

students because once there is parents separation there is an effect to the

students emotional aspect that can lead to loss of motivation to learn and to

study, depression, sadness, loss of focus to study and can lead to severe

emotional burden or problem these perceived effects can affect the student to

their academic performance in school.

 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The alarming increase of the incidence of parents’ separation really affects the

siblings most especially on their academic performance. This chapter tackles some citations,

ideas and findings of researchers when it comes to separation of parents, academic performance

and emotional status of the affected siblings.

When parties decide to separate, but not yet get divorced, it may be necessary for them to

obtain what is often called a “legal separation.” A legal separation can generally be achieved in

two ways: first, a couple can simply agree to draft a contract between themselves, which sets

forth, all of the terms and conditions of their separation.

Contract or “separation agreement” can include provisions pertaining to separate living

arrangements, support for each other and the children, custody and visitation arrangements, the

use of property, taxes, insurance, and other important matters. In most states, there is no

requirement that such a settlement agreement be filed with the court, or that the court be

involved with the process at all.

A second, more formal approach to achieving a “legal separation” entails filing a legal

action in the court system. This may be known as a Complaint for Separate Maintenance or some

variation of those terms. The filing of such a legal action ultimately obtains the endorsement of

the court.

The parties still have the right to settle their case, and to sign a contract or settlement

agreement setting forth all of their wishes. If they cannot settle, then the judge will be asked to
fix the terms and conditions of their separation arrangement. Whether the case is settled by

agreement or decided by the judge, a court order or final judgment will ultimately be issued at

the conclusion of the process.

Many important legal consequences arise from living separately. For example, in many

states, if one spouse dies while the parties are married but living separately, the other spouse may

be prohibited from claiming an elective share from the estate because he or she is not included in

the deceased spouse’s will. Therefore, it is important to seek sound legal advice before

proceeding with a legal separation.

Concern about separation is partly fuelled by the rise in the separation rate and the

numbers of children affected by family changes. There is also growing concern about the role of

fathers and the need for children to maintain a good relationship with both their parents. Recent

years have seen the development of a growing range of services designed to help children and

families experiencing these changes.

Researchers suggest the need to see parental separation not as an event but as a process

which begins long before a parent departs and continues throughout childhood. They stress the

importance both of making sure that children are told clearly what is happening and of listening

sensitively to what children have to say about decisions which affect them. Separation for

children can be particularly difficult when followed by a number of other changes to the family

setting, for example where parents find new partners or where new children are brought into the

household. Financial hardship and parental distress are also associated with continuing problems

for children.
 Children who moved with their fathers, or who remained behind in the custody of their

fathers had significantly more hostility than children in families in which neither separated

parent moved, or who either moved with their mothers or remained behind with their mothers.

In the last few years, higher-quality research which has allowed the "meta-analysis" of

previously published research has shown the negative effects of parents’ separation on children

have been greatly exaggerated. In the past we read that children from separated parents suffered

from depression, failed in school, and got in trouble with the law. Children with depression and

conduct disorders showed indications of those problems related to parents’ separation.

(Mediating Divorce Agreement, James Melamed , Esq.))

Researchers now view conflict, rather than the separation or residential schedule, as the

single most critical determining factor in children's post-parents separation adjustment. The

children, who succeed after parents’ separation, have parents who can communicate effectively

and work together as parents.

Older studies showed boys had greater social and academic adjustment problems than

girls. New evidence indicates that when children have a hard time, boys and girls suffer equally,

they just differ in how they suffer. Boys are more externally symptomatic than girls, they act out

their anger, frustration and hurt. They may get into trouble in school, fight more with peers and

parents. Girls tend to internalize their distress. They may become depressed, develop headaches

or stomach aches, and have changes in their eating and sleeping patterns.
 Drop in parents' income often caused by the same income now supporting two

households directly affects children over time in terms of proper nutrition, involvement in

extracurricular activities, clothing, and school choices. Sometimes a parent who had stayed home

with the children is forced into the workplace and the children experience an increase in time in

child care.

A child's continued involvement with both of his or her parents allows for realistic and

better balanced future relationships. Children learn how to be in relationship by their relationship

with their parents. If they are secure in their relationship with their parents, chances are they will

adapt well to various time-sharing schedules and experience security and fulfillment in their

intimate relationships in adulthood. In the typical situation where mothers have custody of the

children, fathers who are involved in their children's lives are also the fathers whose child

support is paid and who contribute to extraordinary expenses for a child such as things like

soccer, music lessons, the prom dress, or a special class trip. One important factor which

contributes to the quality and quantity of the involvement of a father in a child's life is mother's

attitude toward the child's relationship with father. When fathers leave the marriage and

withdraw from their parenting role as well, they report conflicts with the mother as the major

reason.

The impact of father or mother loss is not likely to be diminished by the introduction of

stepparents. No one can replace Mom or Dad. And no one can take away the pain that a child

feels when a parent decides to withdraw from their lives. Before embarking on a new family,

encourage clients to do some reading on the common myths of step families. Often parents

assume that after the remarriage "we will all live as one big happy family." Step family
relationships need to be negotiated, expectations need to be expressed, roles need to be defined,

and realistic goals need to be set.

Most teenagers eventually adjust to parent’s separation and regard it as having been a

constructive action, but one-third does not. In those instances, the turbulence of the parents’

separation phase has been shown to play a crucial role in creating unhealthy reactions in affected

teenagers.

A great deal of study and thought has been given to knowing more about the impact of

parents’ separation on children.  While there is growing agreement among researchers and

practitioners about the effects of parents’ separation, there is still a lot we don't know. The

researchers have not reached a point that they can be specific about the impact of parents’

separation on a specific child.  What they do know is that the impact will vary with each child

depending the child's age, gender, maturity, psychological health and whether or not other

supportive adults are able to be a regular part of their lives.  However, there are some

generalizations that apply in nearly every situation.

During and following a parents’ separation there are a number of issues that parents will

usually face. Sooner or latter, parents, family or friends should begin to notice the impact of

parents’ separation on children.  There is no avoiding it.   Children will feel bad.  The emotional

pain is distressing. The impact and the child's response will vary according to their age, gender,

maturity, psychological health and whether or not other supportive adults are able to be a regular

part of their lives.  A lot will also depend on how skillfully and compassionately parents handle

or mishandle their interactions with each other and their children.

 Children from separated parents are more likely to have academic problems. They are

more likely to be aggressive and get in trouble with school authorities or the police. These

children are more likely to have low self-esteem and feel depressed. Children who grow up in

separated parents often have more difficulties getting along with siblings, peers, and their

parents. Also, in adolescence, they are more likely to engage in delinquent activities, to get

involved in early sexual activity, and to experiment with illegal drugs. In adolescence and young

adulthood, they are more likely to have some difficulty forming intimate relationships and

establishing independence from their families.

Whether you use children's grades, standardized test scores, or dropout rates, children

whose parents’ separation generally have poorer scores. These results have been found quite

consistently throughout a variety of research studies over the past three decades. Importantly,

children's actual performance on tests consistently shows this difference, but results based on

teacher or parent reports are less likely to show this difference. We believe that both parents and

teachers often underestimate the difficulties a child may be having in school or may not

recognize the problems.

Some cases, it appears that children's difficulties with school may be caused more by

their behavior than their intellectual abilities. The pattern may be somewhat different for boys

and girls. Boys are more likely to be aggressive and have problems getting along with their peers

and teachers. These problems may lead them to spend less time in school or on their schoolwork.

Girls, on the other hand, are more likely to experience depression, which may interfere with their

ability to concentrate on schoolwork or to put as much effort into their work. School success has
long-term implications for children's success in life, and so it is important to find ways to support

children from divorced families.

Early research seemed to indicate that boys might experience more difficulties than girls.

Today, there are few consistent findings. These changes may be due to more children being

reared in joint custody arrangements and more involvement of fathers in general in the lives of

their children after separation. In the school-age years, boys are more likely to be aggressive and

get into fights, while girls are more likely to experience depression, as was mentioned earlier.

But by adolescence, both boys and girls are more likely to engage in negative conduct and

experience bouts of sadness. Adolescent girls are likely to be involved in early sexual behavior,

leading to a greater risk of teenage pregnancy and parenting. This set of events can also have

dramatic effects on their completion of school and their ability to enter the workforce and earn a

good living. Adolescent boys are likely to spend more time with deviant peers and engage in

delinquent behavior, including substance abuse. Like the young women, adolescent boys are

likely to engage in early sexual behavior and become teen parents.

On the positive side, there are some girls who emerge out of the divorced, mother-headed

households as exceptionally resilient young women. It seems that some young women thrive on

the increased responsibilities and challenges that they face in these families, and they develop

warm and deeply affectionate ties with their mothers. Similar findings do not occur for boys.

(Robert Hughes)

Parents’ separation has many effects on the children in a marriage which differ along

several variables. The age of the child is a significant determinant of what particular effects he or

she will experience. This short essay explores these effects by the developmental age groups
below. Effects can also be talked about in short term or long term. This essay focuses on short

term effects, those that occur during the first year or two following the parental separation.

Several other factors such as parental custody and post divorce parental relations affect the

severity of the outcomes and are not within the scope of this essay.

Children in this age group are the most confused and disoriented by the separation. They

often fear the abandonment of the other parent which coupled with poor understanding of the

separation leads to high anxiety. This is often manifested as tearful and clingy behavior toward

the custodial parent at any sign of separation, such as day care. It is not uncommon to see the

child regress to earlier infant type behavior patterns, and nightmares are frequent. Play behavior

which is very important is disrupted, and increased aggression leads to poor peer relations.

Children this young in a divorce often fail to master conflicts at the proper time. Feelings of

guilt, being unloved, and fear of being alone are common and the child often blames themselves

for the separation. Older children in this group show reduced self esteem, and unpredictable and

undependable peer relationships. There is a constriction of fantasy capacity and high levels of

insecurity.

Children in this group are more likely than the younger ones to suffer severe cognitive

impairments as a result of parental separation. There is a significant disruption in the child's

ability to participate freely in the learning process. Anxiety, restlessness, inability to concentrate,

and intrusive thoughts about the separation all contribute to this disruption and lead to a drop in

school performance. Like the younger group, increased irritability leads to difficulties with

classmates. Feelings of sadness, loneliness, guilt decreased self worth, and self-blame are also

common in this age group. These children are likely to have open expressions of grief,
compulsively overeat, and fluctuate between obedient and rebellious behavior patterns. Moral

outrage at the parents' decision is common and they feel torn and distressed by issues of loyalty

between the parents. Older children in this group often show examples of lying, stealing, and

have trouble with authority figures including the law.

Adolescents display many of the effects of the middle childhood group to a higher degree

with a few unique impacts. There are feelings of distress about their own futures in marriage and

a de-idealization of the parents. Truancy is high, academic performance low, and self concept is

dysfunctional. There are high incidences of alcohol and drug abuse, and aggressive behavior.

Other areas tend to develop in extremes. The adolescent may withdraw from all relationships and

become dependent on the parent, or become sexually promiscuous at an early age. Unlike other

age groups, however, it is not uncommon for parental separation to have positive effects on

adolescents. Often the child makes valuable decisions about their own future and values that

leads to positive development and identity formation. (Runyon, N. and Jackson, P. Divorce: It's

Impact on Children, Perspectives in Psychiatric Care. Vol. 24(4), 1988 )

Adolescents understand the parents’ separation situation better than younger children do,

they too experience some difficulties adjusting. Many teens feel that they are being pushed into

adulthood with little time for a transition from childhood. They may feel a loss of support in

handling emerging sexual and aggressive feelings. In some cases, adolescents may even feel that

they are in competition with their parents when they see them going on dates and becoming

romantically involved. Sometimes, teens have grave doubts about their own ability to get

married or stay married.

 Many adolescents seem to mature more quickly following a separation. They take on

increased responsibilities in the home, show an increased appreciation of money, and gain

insight into their own relationships with others. On the other hand, adolescents may be drawn

into the role of taking care of the parent and fail to develop relationships with peers.

The signs and symptoms in children when they are going through their parents' separation

are similar to the reactions we see to other stressful events. The most important sign is any

significant change in a child's usual pattern of behavior. Some children will react by being easily

angered, and others will react by withdrawing from the usual peer activities.

Some of the common reactions teachers or caregivers may see in children experiencing

parents’ separation. Some of these are more likely to occur in younger children, and some are

more likely in older children. Young children are more likely to show regressive behaviors such

as thumb sucking, increased whining, difficulty making transitions, and increased need to be

with a teacher or other caregiver. Older children are more likely to be disobedient, to talk back,

and to be destructive. All children are likely to have some new fears about where their parents

are or if they will see parents again. Many of these children will have trouble sleeping; be

unusually quiet or withdrawn; complain about headaches, stomachaches, and other symptoms of

illness; and be distractible and restless. There also may be significant declines in school

performance, tardiness, absences, and difficulties getting along with peers. Few children will

show all of these signs, but almost all children will show some of these symptoms, especially

when there are significant events at home such as a parent moving out, an appearance in court,

and general disruptions in the usual home routine.

 The well-adjusted were children who remained with their mothers whose fathers moved

away. They were better adjusted than children from separated parents, albeit marginally so.

Children who moved with their fathers, or who remained behind with their fathers scored

significantly lower on personal and emotional well adjustment than children who remained in the

custody of their mothers, regardless of whether the mother moved or not.

Children in the custody of their fathers scored lowest on general life satisfaction.

Children of divorce whose fathers moved away and left them with their mothers were the most

satisfied, marginally more satisfied than children from divorced families in which neither parent

moved, and significantly more satisfied than children who either moved or remained behind with

their fathers. Children who moved with their fathers, or who remained behind in the custody of

their fathers had significantly more hostility than children in families in which neither separated

parent moved, or who either moved with their mothers or remained behind with their mothers.

Children who moved with their mothers showed less hostility than children who

remained behind with their mothers (i.e. whose fathers moved away), but children who remained

behind with their mothers whose fathers moved away, while a little more hostile, also were a

little more well-adjusted and satisfied overall.

Children from the group in which neither parent moved had the least inner turmoil and

distress from the divorce itself. However, the group of children who moved with their mothers or

stayed with their mothers when their father moved still had less inner turmoil and distress than

children who either moved with their fathers or stayed behind with their fathers when their

mothers moved. It is unclear whether this factor was related to moving per se, or more difficult

divorce circumstances, which in turn precipitated a move. Either way, it is uncorrelated with the
children's overall well-adjusted ness and life satisfaction. Children across all categories tended to

perceive the parent they lived with as more supportive.

The paradox of adolescence is that teenagers are not truly independent, but they like to

feel that they are. They want to live their own lives on their own terms while having a safe haven

for food, shelter, and sleep. They need to have a stable home base even if they hate it and the

parents in it. They do not have time for this level of disruption in their lives. They are struggling

with sex and drugs and alcohol and acne and classes they hate. They do not want to be bothered

by their parents' lives, which are in chaos from the separation. Teenagers test the limits in the

best of homes, but when the structure of the home is shaky and the parents are distracted,

teenagers are at risk of impulsive behavior. If impulsive risk-taking occurs, either they are forced

to grow up too fast or they get into trouble.

Teenagers possess a more adult understanding of parents’ separation in cognitive terms

but still are emotionally immature. Teenaged children came from separated parents are usually

sad, angry, protective, or mask their reactions entirely. Often they switch their reactions between

the two parents or even switch minute to minute with one parent. They can be depressed or

become anxious if they believe they are caught between their parents. They might fail to become

involved with their peer group or school activities. They have increased rates of school absence

and illness. They are more likely to abuse substances, break the law, and appear in juvenile court

than are children from intact homes.

Parents must avoid confusing teenagers with adults. A boy must not be expected to be the

man of the house if his father has left. Young girls should not be forced into spending their free

time cooking, cleaning, and caring for younger siblings. Children do not like to think of their
parents' sexuality and are uncomfortable anytime they must confront the issue. Parents should

avoid modeling premarital or casual sex at the very time their teenagers are beginning to think

about it, constantly.

Teenagers do not need as much visitation time. They are busy with their own lives, jobs,

after-school activities, and friends. They do not care to spend time with their parents. It can be

difficult for a parent to hear that the teenager does not want to visit because of the disruption in

his or her schedule. One common phenomenon is that teenagers might want to switch homes and

then want to switch back, perhaps more than once during this period. This switching back and

forth can make a mess of custody and support arrangements. Flexibility is the key for parents.

In late adolescence, two thirds of the teenagers are cut off financially when they reach 18

years, the day the legal requirement for child support ends. For the no custodial parent, this age

signals the end of contracted monthly payments to the previous spouse. For the parent, it is a

financial matter; for the teens, it is personal.

Reactions to divorce in children persist into adulthood. Adult children of parents’

separation are less likely to attend or complete college, are more likely to be unemployed or on

welfare, are more likely to have problematic relationships with parents and siblings, and have

more trouble forming their own marital relationships.

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