COPING STRATEGIES OF CHILDREN FROM DIVORCED FAMILIES IN NORTH-WESTERN ETHIOPIA

NEGA GEDEFAW AGMASE

doi:10.22159/ijss.2021.v9i2.41038

Authors

NEGA GEDEFAW AGMASE School of Sociology and Social Work, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, College of Social Science and the Humanities, University of Gondar, Ethiopia.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22159/ijss.2021.v9i2.41038

Keywords:

Coping strategies, Children, Divorced families, Ethiopia

Abstract

Objective: Since children from divorced families suffered from multi-dimensional effects of divorce and those children are more likely to be involved in different income generating activities. This study attempted to investigate the coping strategies of children from divorced families in North-Western Ethiopia.

Methods: The qualitative, specifically phenomenological research design was employed for understanding the lived experiences of children from divorced families. The data were collected from children of a divorced family and experts through in-depth interviews, focus group discussion, and key informant interviews. Then, participants of the study were selected using the snowball sampling technique. As well, the collected data analyzed and interpreted thematically to address the aforementioned objective of the study.

Results: The findings of the study reveal that children from divorced families developed a wide range of survival strategies within the face of challenges and difficulties that support their life on their own such as petty business, Shoeshine, labor activities, delinquent activities, and begging.

Conclusion: The study concluded that the problem of divorce needs appropriate attention from governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as social institutions akin to family and religion.

References

Amato PR. Divorce in Europe and the United States. J Family Sci 2010;13:2-13.

Heather W. Children experience parental divorce. ??? 2000;1: ???.

Larsen DT. Divorce in Ethiopia. J Biosoc Sci 2000;32:255-272.

Martin PS. Expressed attitudes of adolescents toward marriage and family life. J Marriage Family 2003; ???:359-67.

Pedro-Carroll, J. Putting children first: Proven parenting strategies for helping children thrive through a divorce. J Marriage Family 2010; ???:2-13.

Claiborne S. Available from: http://www.gospelhour.net/titles.htm; http://www.gospelhour.net/titles.htm. [Last accessed on 2019 Sep 11].

Cathy J. Consequence of Divorce on Children’s Life and Adjustment Period; 2013.

Kifle W. Child trafficking, and child migration. J Marriage Family 2013; ???:50-62.

Abebe YM. Lived experience of divorced women in Ethiopia. J Polit Sci Dev 2015;3:268-81.

Shibeshi A. Causes of Divorce and its Consequences on Children. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Master Thesis; 2015.

Wendie Y, Seid J. Psycho-social and economic consequences of divorce in Muslim community. Innovare J Soc Sci 2014;2:51-7.

Wendie Y, Seid J. Determinants of divorce in muslim community. Innovar J Soc Sci 2016;4:6-11.

United States Agency for International Development. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Tips: Conducting Focus Group Interviews. Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development; 2011.

Creswell JW. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications; 2014.

Muhammad I. Types of Qualitative Research; 2016.

Ebenezer A, Lawuo HJ. Uncovered coping strategies adopted by children living in homes with parental divorce for their own survival. J Educ Pract 2015;6:114-28.

Genemo MG. The causes, consequences and coping strategies of Streetism in Shashemane town. Int J Psychol Brain Sci 2018;3:40-54.

Akhtar E. Social and economic problems of divorced women. Res Hum Soc Sci 2016; ???:2224-5766.

Parks AB. The Effects of Family Structure on Juvinile Delinquency. Journal of Electronic These and Dessertation, December; 2013. p. 2279-87