CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents related studies to provide the background for findings some issues about

these studies. The researcher used journals, publications, studies and articles from the library and

internet which concerned to the issue.

Related Literature

Broken Family

A broken family may negatively affect all domains of child's development. The firmness of family

can creates a strong bond for children to progress throughout life. But when the parents separate, the

children are left with no choice that causing them to lose the basic concepts of childhood that may help

them throughout life. Children of separated parents have lack of happiness and success.

Broken Family can be defined as a broken home, this is where a child doesn't have a both parent

at home. The husband and wife are legally separated; sometimes death of one member of the family

can lead to broken family. When parent has their own new family and the children are left without their

knowing will be also called as broken home.

REASON

Margot Galang (2015) on Implication of Broken Marriages to Filipino Children, the common

reasons why Filipino couples separate include financial problems, lack of communication, infidelity, and

domestic violence. Clinical and therapists note that children caught in the middle of parent’s animosity
during separation have attention and concentration problems, academic problems, anger issues, sleep

disorders, and other psychological, behavioral and spiritual problems.

In every children life, seeing your family split up is the most painful memory and experience and

could affect their whole life. They become sensitive about the topic and get involve into trouble. Having

broken family, it has a total effect in children's life and future, they forgot their responsibility and loses

the interest to make their life better. Some students choose to forget and continue their life despite of

the problem and face the struggles that she or he have. There are some cases that in early age they got

pregnant because they rebel to seek attention and affection from their parents, at the early age they are

in the wrong pathway. Marriage begins in matrimony in which they vowed infront of their witnesses and

almighty God to be together until death do they apart but some happy marriages eventually ended up in

separation without thinking what will be the affect of their separation to their child and children.

Children from broken family most likely to feel sadness and intense emotion, they feel that they are left

alone, unloved and abandoned. They become more aggressive and violent at some point become

rebellious, especially to their parents because they couldn't take the negative feelings inside due to the

problem they've been facing. Depressions, committed to crime, alcohol and drugs are some serious

effect of broken family to every child or children. They uses these as an outlet to escape their problem

which can make them mentally ill or worst, can turn them into criminal. A feral children as what others

use to call them. When they can no longer endure all the things, he may even attempt to kill him or

herself. He or she may even lost an interest in life itself as the traumatic effect keep on pushing them to

their limit.

Parents' Divorce

It is claimed that the main reason of broken family is divorce. Usually either or both of the

parents leave home then. The absents of either or both parents will affect the family, then it becomes
broken. The common disputes between a husband and a wife are the financial issue, sexual

misunderstanding, early marriage, teen pregnancy, education, health problem, etc.

Going through a divorce is a very tough situation to be in; typically their children are the ones

who suffer the most. One of the basic causes of broken families is the arguments of the parents. Money

is mostly the cause of marriage arguments, having too much money can cause greediness and will lead

to forgetting the love to each other. Being unfaithfulness to their partners for having an affair is another

cause of broken family.

Incapable to resolve a arguments is also one of the causes, both husband and wife fight about

something but unable to resolve it. This makes both sides think that they are not compatible with each

other.

This strictly applies to a married couple. According to Hornby (2006), it is a decision that a

husband and wife make to live apart while remaining married. This view is supported by Garner (2005)

stating that it is an arrangement whereby a husband and wife live apart from each other while

remaining married by mutual consent.

Death

Death sometime leads to broken family. Family strength is obviously reduced by death. Broken

family is led by death more adversely. Like other reason all death in the family do not necessarily bring

any broken. But either death of the parent, the children become mother/father less. Children will get

emotionally disturbed when they realize that their parent will never return. The result of the family

could not be hale and hearty for the family life of the left partner live a drastic life in search of happiness

after losing his/her partner. Then it starts to be broken.

Misconception between family members

Another reason of family problem could be the misconception between family members. The most

common reasons are drugs, abusing, drinking alcohol, and misbehavior manner by the father or any

other members. Misconception, ruining and anger happen and turn into breaking the relationship of

himself and herself for the family.

Unconditional Administration

Another cause of broken home is failure in administration. If either the parents fails to

administer, it will soon lead to family problems.There would be freedom and tolerance inside and

outside the home. The remaining relationship will be affected by improper living. There will be losing of

caring which can lead to broken family if it becomes worse.

Parental or Friends Influence.

Another reason why a family has broken up is because of parental or friends influence. Bad

mouthing will be likely to happen and misunderstanding will only grow worse negative impact as we

share problems with others and receive unexpected advices. Splitting up of parents took place due to

the influences made by friends.

This is can be observed commonly nowadays. Due to influence and interference if parents,

friends and relations in private affairs on the family homes become broken. Breaking up is caused by

allowing third parties to be confidants and advisers.

EFFECTS OF HAVING A BROKEN FAMILY

1. MENTAL

1.1 Academic Performance

 One of the most common negative effects separation of the parents is that the

academic performance can severely disrupted. They have plenty of thoughts in their

heads, negative feelings, worries, sadness, anxiety.

Mulholland D. J., et. al. (2016); this study hypothesized that children from

divorced or separated families would show a deficit in academic performance and

achievement when compared to children coming from healthy families.

Whitemarsh (2008), found that educators are often the first to notice a change in

behavior when a family is in transition to being broken up. Teachers have observed

that some children from divorced families may show decreased functioning in

academic performances and display oppositional behavior, or signs of anxiety and

depression.

Biblarz (2000) conducted a study which compared academic performance of

children of divorce with children of widowed mothers. Findings concluded that

children of divorcees were less likely to complete high school, attend college, or

attend graduate school than children of widowed mothers.

1.2 Suicidal Thoughts

One study reported that risk of a suicide attempt was higher in divorced

families, though the association was eliminated after controlling for adverse

experiences. As the work of Patricia McCall, a sociology professor at North Carolina

State University, shows, the strongest demographic indicator of suicide is the family
 structure within which a person resides: the divorced family structure has the highest

suicide rate.

Grych et al., (2000), Children who witness parents’ conflicts may shape a

negative perception on self, because they tend to consider themselves as causes of

conflicts and blame themselves for a disharmonious marital relationship.

1.3 Nightmares

As a result of something that's happening in our lives, night terror usually occurs. It's

our brain's way of adjusting, coping to changes in our lives. That's why divorce,

separation memories, living in a new home, and more could all be triggers for

nightmares.

1.4 Mental Illness

Children from a broken home are at great risk in terms of Psychological problems.

This is supported by the report of London Institute Psychiatry (2008) which pointed out

that people from the broken homes are more prone to psychotic illness in which

schizophrenia. This is mental illness in which a person becomes unable to link thoughts,

emotions and behaviors leading to withdrawal from reality and personal relationships.

2. SOCIAL

2.1 Shyness

Kids from broken home acquire a common trait like shyness and lack of social

skills. Kids who are caught in the middle of a messy divorce is common with

these. Kid's comfort levels will be affected after a divorce whether you like it or

not. You want your child to feel comfortable in his/her own home, but
 something drastic has changed. One parent is missing and would no longer be

present in their life.

2.2 Lack of Self-confidence

Lack of self-confidence and shyness goes side by side when it comes to

describing the feeling of the children may experience as a result of a divorce.

BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS

Children of divorced or separated parents exhibit increased behavioral

problems, and the marital conflict that accompanies parents’ divorce places the child’s

social competence at risk. Studies indicate that divorce contributes to an increased risk

for a wide facet of undesirable behaviors, including an inability to handle conflict,

promiscuity, difficulty in school, increased crime rates, increased drug and alcohol use,

and increased rates of suicide

This is can be observed commonly nowadays. Due to influence and interference if

parents, friends and relation in private affairs on the family homes become broken.

2.3 Crime

Weapon carrying, fighting, substance abuse and binge drinking which is termed

as "externalizing behaviors" is also caused by parental divorce. Another study found that the

sons of divorced parents are at no greater risk of involvement in delinquent behavior than

boys living in intact families of the mother and father "engage in competent parenting"

2.4 Sexual Practice

Children's approvaL of premarital sex, cohabitation, and divorce tend to rise

dramatically when parents divorce while their endorsement on marriage and childbearing
 falls. They are also more likely to believe that marriage is not important prior to having

children and to have a child out of wedlock.

2.5 Drugs and Alcohol

Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, marijuana use and binge drinking which

are externalizing behavior is predicted by parental divorce. It also predicts

increased adolescent use of other illegal drugs. The negative effects of divorce

on adolescent substance tend to persist over time and are not temporary.

3. EMOTIONAL

2.6 Depression

There have been numerous studies (Dykeman 2003; Wallerstain, 2005), that

have documented the impact of divorce to children.

Sun cited in ValderValk et al., (2005), found children of divorced parents

may have lower sense of psychological well-being than children who grew up with

intact families. Research also confirms that children of divorced parents may

experience emotional problems such as loneliness and depression (Asetline &

VanderValk, 2005)

3 EDUCATIONAL

BOY (2004) on the outcome of the divorce for children series to indicate that

conflict between parents has a greater impacts on school behaviours& grades

and self-concept irrespective fighting violent behaviour or physical or verbal

abuse between many spouses.