Social Support Following Parental Divorce: Students’ Experiences of Family, Friends and Teachers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65820/ejes-22vol2-issue2-2026Keywords:
parental divorce, social support, adolescents, secondary school studentsAbstract
Purpose: This study explored the experiences of social support among secondary school students following parental divorce or separation in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Methodology: A qualitative descriptive design was adopted. Eight students, comprising four males and four females, from two public secondary schools participated in semi-structured focus group discussions conducted after therapeutic intervention sessions. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Three themes emerged: sources and experiences of social support; social support as a pathway to adjustment; and access to social support. Students drew on family members, friends, and teachers in different ways. Family members provided closeness and practical help, friends offered companionship, while teachers provided guidance and reassurance. Social support helped students manage emotional distress and maintain a sense of belonging, often through ordinary activities rather than direct discussion of the divorce. However, access to support was uneven, as shame, fear of judgement, and withdrawal prevented some students from using available relationships.
Novelty and Contribution: The study highlights a distinction between the availability of social support and students' ability to access that support following parental divorce or separation. It contributes qualitative evidence from secondary school students in Lagos State, Nigeria, a context that remains underrepresented in research on post-divorce adjustment and social support.
Practical and Social Implications: The findings have implications for school counselling practice, particularly the need to create supportive environments where students can access existing family, peer, and teacher relationships without fear of judgement or stigma. Schools may strengthen counselling and peer-support approaches that recognise both the availability and accessibility of social support in helping students adjust to family disruption.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Deborah Oluranti Adedokun, Ayodeji Olawunmi Badejo, Muyideen Babatunde Tahir (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
