EVALUATION AND EXPLORATION OF THE PERCEIVED VALUE OF THE “HELPING DIVORCED PARENTS TO BENEFIT ADOLESCENT CHILDREN” PROGRAMME

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate and explore the subjective experiences of parents who participated in the “Helping Divorced Parents to Benefit Adolescent Children†enrichment programme. A qualitative approach with a phenomenological research design was followed. Participants were selected by convenience sampling and included twelve divorced custodial parents of adolescents who attended the four-week programme. Content analysis was done and themes were extracted from the data. The main themes that emerged from the interpretations were: Positive group experience (value of shared experience and support in the group context); Co-parenting challenges (relationship with former spouse remained challenging); Feelings of guilt and self-blame (for their children’s post-divorce adjustment); Parent’s own personal needs not met (causing frustration); Positive post-divorce and programme outcomes. The general evaluation of the programme was positive and recommendations to improve the programme were made. It was concluded that a group intervention programme for parents can contribute towards positive change in parenting adolescents after parental divorce.