Divorced Fathers' Perceptions of Parental Disclosures to Children

Youngjin Kang · Lawrence H.Ganong

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Family Dynamics and Relationships Intimate Partner and Family Violence Attachment and Relationship Dynamics

Abstract

Objective To examine divorced fathers' views about the appropriateness of disclosures and explore their disclosure strategies. Background Parental disclosures are common occurrences in the context of divorce; they may be harmful or beneficial depending on what information is disclosed and how parents disclose to their children. However, relatively little is known about divorced fathers' perceptions of parental disclosures to children. Method In‐depth qualitative interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 20 divorced fathers who had children between 10 and 18 years of age. Data were analyzed by using a strategy called interpretive description, which borrows from other qualitative approaches while allowing researchers to pragmatically apply various techniques to their applied research questions. Results There generally was consensus among fathers about which subjects should and should not be shared with children. Fathers perceived their own disclosures to be more appropriate than similar disclosures made by others, including their coparents. Fathers used three primary approaches for managing how much information to disclose with their children: (a) transparency (i.e., being open as possible); (b) limiting (i.e., restricting verbal and nonverbal communications); and (c) concealment (i.e., completely hiding information from children). Conclusion How divorced fathers evaluate parental disclosures is important to guide their own disclosures and strategies. Implication To better understand parental disclosures after divorce, there needs to be more research on parental disclosures. Practitioners and parent educators should help divorced parents carefully evaluate their own disclosures to establish clear and healthy communication boundaries with their children and coparents.

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References

1992Basics of Qualitative Research 2010Research on Divorce: Continuing Trends and New Developments 2016Interpretive Description 2010Communication Privacy Management Theory: What Do We Know About Family Privacy Regulation?2016Stepfamily Relationships 2007Inappropriate Parental Divorce Disclosures, the Factors that Prompt them, and their Impact on Parents’ and Adolescents’ Well-Being 2015Family Communication in the Age of Digital and Social Media 2015Parent–Child Relationships in Stepfather Families and Adolescent Adjustment: A Latent Class Analysis

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