Psychosocial Challenges Facing Primary School Children from Divorced Families in Kihesa Ward, Iringa Municipality

Author

Sekela S. Kaminyoge

Abstract

 Parental divorce is an increasingly common feature of family life in Tanzania, yet its psychosocial consequences for primary school children remain under researched at the community level. This study examined the psychosocial challenges facing primary school children from divorced families in Kihesa Ward, Iringa Municipality. A qualitative approach, using a phenomenological design was adopted, drawing on semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with thirty purposively selected participants, comprising twenty children, five teachers and five parents or guardians. Data were analysed thematically. Findings showed that children experienced sustained emotional distress, diminished self-esteem, anxiety about the future, behavioural change and declining academic performance. Socially, children faced peer rejection, stigmatisation, strained family relationships, caregiver-based violence in some households and deprivation of basic material needs. The study concludes that parental divorce affects children across emotional and social domains simultaneously and that families, schools and communities need to recognise and respond to these interconnected challenges through strengthened guidance and counselling services, teacher training in psychosocial recognition and community-level efforts to reduce the stigma directed at children from divorced families.

Keywords

Parental divorce; psychosocial challenges; primary school children; Tanzania

Full Text:

Download Paper PDF

References

African Union. (2021). African Union social affairs report on family structures in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Union Commission.

Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1978). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Amato, P. R., & Keith, B. (1991). Parental divorce and the well-being of children: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 110(1), 26-46.

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice Hall.

Berk, L. E. (2021). Child development (10th ed.). Pearson.

Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. Basic Books.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Cluver, L., Lachman, J. M., Sherr, L., Wessels, I., Krug, E., Rakotomalala, S., & Bachman, G. (2019). Parenting in a time of COVID-19. The Lancet, 395(10231), e64.

Cohen, N., Mor, N., & Henik, A. (2017). Emotional absence of a parent and social trust in children from divorced families. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(3), 286-294.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage.

El-Sheikh, M., Cummings, E. M., Kouros, C. D., Elmore-Staton, L., & Buckhalt, J. (2016). Marital psychological and physical aggression and children's mental and physical health. Child Development, 79(6), 1807-1824.

Hetherington, E. M., & Kelly, J. (2020). Post-divorce child outcomes: Longitudinal findings on anxiety and future insecurity. Journal of Family Psychology, 34(2), 145-158.

Iringa Magistrate Court. (2025). Administrative records of divorce cases: 2022-2025. Iringa Magistrate Court.

Kelly, J. B., & Emery, R. E. (2019). Child adjustment following divorce: Review of two decades of research. Family Court Review, 57(3), 382-396.

Kovacs, M., & Brody, G. (2019). Divorce-related stigma and peer relationships among primary school children in South Africa. African Journal of Child Development, 6(1), 45-62.

Lansford, J. E., Wager, L. B., Bates, J. E., Pettit, G. S., & Dodge, K. A. (2021). Parental divorce and children's peer relationships across eight countries. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 52(3), 271-286.

Malema, B., Mwamba, C., & Luhanga, E. (2023). Psychosocial difficulties in children following parental divorce in Iringa Municipality, Tanzania. East African Journal of Educational Research, 9(1), 34-51.

McLanahan, S., & Percheski, C. (2020). Family structure and the reproduction of inequalities. Annual Review of Sociology, 34(1), 257-276.

National Bureau of Statistics. (2023). Tanzania population and housing census 2022: Key indicators. NBS Tanzania.

National Bureau of Statistics. (2024). Tanzania demographic and health survey 2022. NBS Tanzania.

Nyarko, K. (2011). Self-concept and academic achievement of Ghanaian students from non-intact and intact families. African Journal of Child Development, 2(1), 1-9.

Resident Magistrate Court Iringa. (2023). Divorce case records: 2022-2023. Iringa Resident Magistrate Court.

United Nations Children's Fund. (2020). The state of the world's children 2020: Children, food and nutrition. UNICEF.

World Health Organization. (2021). World health statistics 2021: Monitoring health for the SDGs. World Health Organization.

 

 

Share your valuable work from Social Media Buttons