Les enfants : victimes directes des séparations conjugales conflictuelles

Abstract

Marital separations are rarely a formality, and they often represent a significant break in the development of the children affected and in their life balance. In the best cases, the parents manage to maintain co-parenting and continuity in the children's lifestyle. In the worst cases, the children suffer the full force of the marital separation, which can degenerate. The children are then the direct victims of the parents’ rifts, and may be placed in a position of choice. In this article, we present the necessary safeguards and other precautions to be taken to minimise the consequences of parental separation, and to protect the children as much as possible. In this case, it is vital to respect the child's temporality and respond to his or her needs at the time, which vary throughout the transition process. Scientific studies on child development and attachment theory abound in this respect. Finally, we propose a model of the different types of separation and the impact they can have on the child in terms of victimisation. This conceptualisation offers parents guidance in trying to separate well, or at the very least not to separate under bad conditions, always adopting the child's perspective.