Young people's education and health affected by parental break-ups

Young people feel their exam results and health are suffering as a direct result of parental break-up, according to new research.

The survey of 14 to 22 year olds, commissioned by Resolution found parental separation is leading teens and young adults to turn to alcohol and commit truancy, with some admitting to experimenting with drugs.

Chair of Resolution, Jo Edwards said: "These new findings show the wide-ranging impact of divorce and separation on young people. It underlines just how important it is that parents going through a split manage their separation in a way that minimises the stress and impact on the entire family, especially children, otherwise their exam results could suffer. Divorce and separation is always traumatic, but there is a better way to deal with it."

Speaking on the first day of 2014's Family Dispute Resolution Week, Edwards continued: "Each year around 100,000 children under 16 see their parents divorce. Almost half of all break-ups (48 per cent) occur when there is at least one child in the relationship, and with 230,000 people in England and Wales going through a divorce each year (and many more separating), this is an issue that affects hundreds of thousands of families in Britain every year."

Exam results

The survey found that one in five said they didn't get the exam results they were hoping for. The majority (65 per cent) say their GCSE exam results were affected, while 44 per cent say A-level results suffered. Moreover, 15 per cent said they had to move schools, which may also have had an effect on results.

The research suggests that poor exam results may be partly explained by changes in behaviour that occur as a direct result of parental separation. Almost a quarter (24 per cent) said they struggled to complete homework, essays or assignments. Furthermore, one in ten said they found themselves 'getting into more trouble at school, college or university,' with 12 per cent confessing to truancy.

Alcohol and diet

The survey also found that parental break-up can impact on young people's health. Fourteen per cent of those surveyed said they either started or increased their consumption of alcohol, while almost a third (28 per cent) admitted to eating more or less than they previously had.

Perhaps most concerning of all, 13 per cent admitted to experimenting or considered experimenting with drugs as a result of their parents' break-up.

In addition, the survey found many young people felt their parents placed additional stresses on them during the divorce process, with one in three claiming a parent had tried to turn them against the other. Moreover, 27 per cent said their parents had tried to involve them directly in their dispute.

New partners

The impact of social media also plays its part. Almost a quarter said they found out via social media that one of their parents had a new partner. Furthermore, one in five said their parents had upset or embarrassed them by posting something about the separation or divorce.

Other findings from the report include almost one in five young people (19 per cent) have lost contact with one or more grandparents, a crucial issue in the context of the government's recently-launched 'Family Test,' which is designed to ensure that policies support children's relationships with grandparents after divorce.

Edwards added: "It is crucial that couples do everything possible to resolve disagreements in an amicable way that minimises stress on all family members - particularly any children they may have. It's clear from our survey that children are suffering as a result of parental separation and that in some cases it's exacerbated when parents place additional stresses on their children during their break-up."

John van der Luit-Drummond is legal reporter for Solicitors Journal