‘I Didn't Have A Say’

Young People's Experiences of Parental Communication and Decision‐Making During Divorce in Türkiye and England

Bibliographic Data

ID21591063
AuthorsGözde Doğanyılmaz‐Burger (0009-0008-3568-7793, Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences, School for Policy Studies University of Bristol Bristol UK, corresponding author), Debbie L Watson (0000-0001-5467-3604, Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences, School for Policy Studies University of Bristol Bristol UK)
Year2026
Publication date2026-05-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueChildren & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0951-0605 • E-ISSN: 1099-0860
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/chso.70055
OpenAlexW7162088102
LanguageEN
References cited46

This comparative study explores young people's experiences of communication and decision‐making during parental divorce in two distinct cultural contexts: Türkiye and England. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 44 young people aged 11–16, the research addresses a gap in the Turkish literature by foregrounding children's perspectives, which are rarely centred in divorce studies from this context. Thematic analysis revealed that fragmented or absent communication left many participants feeling confused, excluded and emotionally unsupported. Cultural stigma, patriarchal family structures and emotional role‐reversals shaped how young people in both countries navigated their agency, often leading to silence or self‐protection. The study highlights the need for culturally sensitive, rights‐based approaches that prioritise clear, open, timely and inclusive communication with children during divorce to enhance young people's emotional wellbeing and agency

Cultural diversity · Feeling · Foregrounding · Qualitative research · Silence · Thematic analysis · Turkish · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Family Support in Illness · Work-Family Balance Challenges

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Open DOIOpen Access