Divorces cause children to turn to alcohol

Taken From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5552846/Divorces-cause-children-to-turn-to-alcohol.html

A quarter of children whose parents divorce before they reach 18 turn to alcohol, a survey shows.

Published: 7:00AM BST 17 Jun 2009

Children whose parents go through an acrimonious separation or divorce are being failed by the law, with one in 10 turning to crime and 8 per cent considering suicide, the study suggested.

Couples who use youngsters as "emotional footballs" during custody battles can leave children so traumatised that a third seek solace in drugs or alcohol, according to a poll of 2,000 people.

The study of individuals who had experienced a divorce as a child in the last 20 years was commissioned by law firm Mishcon de Reya to mark the 20th anniversary of the Children Act.

The survey also revealed that 42 per cent of children witnessed aggressive rows between their parents, with almost half (49%) forced to comfort an upset mother or father.

Just under a quarter (24 per) admit they were forced by one parent to lie to the other and a further 15 per centwere asked to spy on a parent.

With Legal Aid funding for parents to litigate over child related issues in divorce or separation costing the nation £151 million a year, according to the latest figures from the Legal Services Commission, leading lawyers are calling for the Government to act by helping separating couples avoid costly and potentially damaging court battles through measures such as mediation and parenting classes.

Family lawyer Sandra Davis, from Mishcon de Reya, said: "This research demonstrates that the legal process is not working because parents continue to use their children as emotional footballs.

"Not only are warring mothers and fathers damaging their children, they are costing the taxpayer millions which could be spent so much more constructively.

"We need to take parents out of the legal arena and do more to encourage them to make use of parenting classes. It is proven that classes where children are involved can settle disputes much more quickly and with less acrimony."

She said the study showed the court process "undermines the good intentions of the legislation which was intended to put children first".

Half of those surveyed believe more should be done to put the feelings of children first during divorce and 37 per cent said they had no idea where to turn for support.

Mishcon de Reya hopes to work with a charity to support children with online support and a downloadable Separation Manifesto which youngsters could get their parents to sign up to.

"It could help make parents act more responsibly but it is a drop in the ocean of what is needed," said Ms Davis. "It's time the Government reassessed a failing process and looked to find solutions to protect kids caught in the middle."

Maureen Nuttall, strategy development manager at Action for Children, said: "Divorce can be a difficult time for families and children can often be left isolated if they do not get appropriate understanding and guidance.

"These findings highlight the need for targeted support for both parents and children at what can be a complicated and confusing time.

"The emotional wellbeing of children must be a priority for parents, the legal profession and support services to ensure the impact of divorce is kept to a minimum."

:: Research was carried out online between March 13 and 19 by OnePoll among a representative sample of 2,000 individuals who had experienced a divorce as a child in the past 20 years.

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