Relationship breakdown is at the heart of many social issues
The social consequences of relationship breakdown are huge. Our families and communities are littered with the negative effects of divorce. It’s often the biggest life crisis a person will experience. It affects body, mind and soul and impacts all aspects of a person’s life including their relationships, with children being the greatest innocent victims.
The fallout hits the fabric of society on a massive scale costing the UK taxpayer as much as its defence budget (£50bn). Fegans, the children’s charity, mark this as the single biggest issue affecting children’s well-being as it counts for over 30% of its referrals.
Sadly, with so little support available in the UK, people are left isolated and lonely. Often the anger, hurt and unresolved emotions cause mental health issues, decreased productivity at work which piles on top of increased financial pressures and a period where friends are dividing. This quickly triggers a downward spiral and more difficult relationships.
Children are then often on the receiving end when co-parenting is difficult, if not impossible, whilst at the same time, their own world order is torn apart. It’s not surprising that children of divorced parents are more likely to divorce and the majority of young offenders come from broken homes. This downward cycle can present itself in a multitude of ways causing huge social damage for the children as well as the adults concerned.
If you have been impacted by the breakdown of a significant relationship and would like support visit our go on a course or resources page for more help.
Supporting people through separation or divorce
It doesn’t have to be this way. We’ve seen lives transformed by giving people the skills and tools to take simple steps that overcome the hurt and, where children are involved, create successful separated co-parenting relationships.
Restored Lives has shown that offering supporting people through separation or divorce, bringing people in similar circumstances together and providing the tools to navigate a breakup, gives rise to a period of healing, learning and growth, ultimately resulting in improved relational skills.
This doesn’t have to be the case and we can all start to help. In fact, churches and community groups are already at the forefront of this support using their existing skills and resources.
Find out how you can help by visiting our run a course page