Conséquences psychologiques de la séparation parentale chez l'enfant

The psychological issues of parental separation in children

“…The child may also be taken as a witness or hostage in the conflict. The "avenger" child is determined to take sides in the parental war [11,15].…”

“…Separation also requires a change of position and the mother can be led to play all the roles, her role, the father's role, or both. For his part, the father is invited to imitate the mother, at the risk of not knowing where and when he is a father [15,17]. Also, parental conflicts lead to a deterioration of parental quality.…”

“…He may also want to pursue revenge in the case of a history of spousal abuse. The risk is that the child will be manipulated [18,19]. Other parents, who feel particularly abandoned, decide to exclude the other parent from the child's life [14].…”

“…In this context, the ability of parents to control their affects and explain to him what is happening in his life is essential. If he perceives his parents' desire to keep him a central place in their life, the child regains confidence in his ability to arouse their love and he can project him self again into the future [15,17,20]. Family medico-psychosocial centers, as front-line workers, play a crucial role in screening for signs of adjustment disorder and signs of physical or psychological suffering.…”

“…If the child appears to be in real danger and his physical and moral safety must be protected, a report must be made to the administrative authorities (justice, general council). During the psychological assessment in a therapeutic setting, the child's expression is important: it requires a moment of building confidence and the creation of a space in which he can feel free to speak in a secure environment [18]. The therapist must take into account, on the one hand, a reality of family breakdown, and on the other hand, all the possible sources of identification which are therefore available to the child, for example stepfathers or stepmothers [15,18].…”