Upbringing type and marital interaction during the period of divorce proceedings in families with different numbers of children
Authors:   Sevastopol State University, Motornaya Svetlana E. , Kondrashikhina Oksana A. ,   Sevastopol State University
Published: January 2024

Introduction. The research relevance is determined by the need to stabilize and harmonize the family and find ways to improve family education. The aim of the paper is to identify the types of upbringing and marital interaction during the divorce process in families with a different number of children. Research methodology. The assessment of the components of marital communication and child-parent interaction was carried out on a sample of the Simferopol Family Assistance Service Center’s clients. The research involved spouses who are in the process of divorce and have a different number of children. A total of 46 people: 23 nuclear families. The following diagnostic methods were used: the questionnaire "Analysis of family relationships" (E.G. Eidemiller and V.V. Yustitskis) and the questionnaire "Communication in the family" (Yu.E. Aleshina, L.Ya. Gozman, E.M. Dubovskaya). The empirical results of the research were analyzed using a combination of mathematical and statistical methods (descriptive statistics methods, Mann-Whitney U-test, Spearman's rank correlation test). Research results. The identified violations in all areas of interaction between family members in a pre-divorce situation are gender-sensitive. The predominant type of upbringing is “hyperprotection”, the level of which is higher among mothers raising 1-2 children than among mothers with many children (Ue = 179, p≤0.01); for fathers of small families, it is more common to bring marital conflict into the sphere of education compared to fathers with many children (Ue = 169, p≤0.05); There is an insufficiency of requirements and prohibitions for the child, minimal sanctions, and the transfer of conflict between spouses to the sphere of education. The identified violations of marital interaction are reflected in the type of upbringing: the more the spouses have similarities in their views, the less they will be characterized by 1) transfer of conflict into the sphere of upbringing (for families with 1-2 children r=-0.585**, p≤0.01, for families with three or more children re =-0.458*, p≤0.05), 2) instability of the upbringing process (re =-0.422, p≤0.05 and re = 0.481, p≤0, 05 respectively). The presence and preservation of family symbols leads to a lower likelihood of redundancy of demands and responsibilities for the child (re =-0.492*, p≤0.05) Conclusion. Violations of the family’s upbringing type with different numbers of children during the period of the divorce process are manifested in hyperprotection, bringing the conflict between spouses into the sphere of upbringing, ambivalence of upbringing, uneven requirements and prohibitions. There is a relationship between the specifics of marital relations in families (trust, mutual understanding, the presence of common family symbols, similarities in views) and the type of upbringing during the divorce process. The results obtained will be useful in the work of specialists with families.