The impact of divorce on teenagers social behaviour at Hamangilasi Village in Limpopo, South Africa

Abstract

The sole purpose of this study was to assess the impact of divorce on teenagers’ social behaviour at Hamangilasi village, Limpopo Province in South Africa which has a high rate of divorce cases. The study used an exploratory design and a sample of children from divorced parents was selected through the convenience sampling technique. Data were generated through the interview technique and analysed qualitatively. The findings show that teenagers from divorced families develop social, psychological and educational challenges. They develop antisocial behaviours such as substance abuse, prostitution, have a low self-esteem, poorly perform in their studies and have a negative attitude towards marriage. The study recommends that counselling should be provided to the teenagers from divorced families to build their confidence and make them cope with their circumstances. Furthermore, it is recommended that the state should offer financial support to the children from divorced families in order to improve their suffering.

Keywords: Teenagers, divorce, impact, social behaviour