Om dere vil høre hvordan jeg har det? : en litteraturstudie som omhandler barns opplevelse av alvorlige foreldrekonflikter og hva som kan bidra til å dempe deres vansker.

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to convey knowledge about how children experience serious parental conflicts and how to decrease the negative impact these conflicts has on the children involved. A literature review has been chosen as the scientific method while working with this study.

A comprehensive search in different scientific databases has been performed, in a process in which English words have been used. This study is an integrative review where a combination of different approaches allow me to summarize empirical and theoretical literature into comprehensive knowledge about a phenomenon.

The theoretical perspectives of the study are the recognition and attachment theories as well as a system theoretical understanding of the family. The study's main findings are based on the childrens and adolescents descriptions and experiences with their parents conflicts.

Findings show that children and adolescents experience with negative emotional climates between the parents have a great impact on the their ability to adjust and psychological health in general. Children also have strong emotions connected to anger, grief, and the feeling of being caught in the parental conflict. Findings also show that the parents lack of recognition of one another escalates the conflict further, which makes attachment to both parents difficult.

Children describe that positive relations in their surroundings are essential, and they express the desire to have someone to talk to and stress the importance of access to therapeutic help in a greater capacity.

The study also highlights the importance of putting the child first, both when guiding the parents and during court involvements in custody issues.

Keywords: family therapy, parental conflict, parent-child relations, divorce (and the Norwegian word “skilsmisse”), attachment behavior and childrens experiences.