Relationships and Society
Stable families are the first unit in building unified communities and a stable society
Family breakdown is a private tragedy but on a wider scale is also a matter for public concern. Looking at social and family policy questions across government shows that family breakdown contributes to a wide variety of social problems causing distress for individuals, families and communities.
The most influential relationships in families are those between the adults, whether they are together or separated; these affect all family members.
Impact on Families: Relate's experience
Our experience shows that the quality of the relationship between couples that have children has a real impact on their family. Research evidence also backs this up. In particular a study by Erel and Burman in 1995 (1), looked at the impact of marital relationships on the relationship between parents and their children and concluded:
"regardless of causality, positive parent - child relations are less likely to exist when the marital relationship is troubled. From a clinical perspective, efforts to improve parent child interactions may be enhanced by addressing parents' marital difficulties"
Family Breakup
Family breakup is one of the major causes of neighbourhood decline mentioned in the Government's National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal (2).
In our experience, problems resulting from family breakdown are caused when relationships end with hostility, without talking through the situation. Relate's services of Relationship Counselling, Family Counselling, Counselling for Young People or Mediation can help people manage these difficult experiences.
Poverty and Homelessness
Family break up is cited as one of the critical causes of poverty (Research by the Department for Work and Pensions) and surveys routinely show that around half of homeless people ascribe their homelessness to relationship breakdown (3).
Supporting Individuals, Couples and Families
A partner may lack the skills and understanding about the best way to act after the breakdown; not knowing what to do for the benefit of themselves and their children. People need help and support to manage the process of family change.
In a recent survey by the National Family and Parenting Institute (4) nearly seven out of ten of those surveyed agreed that parenting did not come naturally and that training, counselling or support can make a difference to family relationship problems.
Relate believes that society can gain immeasurably if support is provided for people to be enriched by learning skills and techniques to enable them to be "a good partner" throughout their lives.
(1) Erel, O Burman B (1995) Interrelatedness of marital relations and parent child relations : A meta - analytical review, Psychological Bulletin, 118
(2) National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal, 2002
(3) Crisis, A Future Foretold, 1999
(4) NFPI survey conducted by MORI, 2002, "The Millennial Family"
