FAMILY BREAKDOWN

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2024) reports that 47,216 divorces were granted in 2024, with a divorce rate of 2.1 per 1,000 residents.

Although this number is slightly lower than the 48,700 divorces recorded in 2023, the impact on school-aged children remains significant.

Furthermore, the temporal trends of separation are particularly relevant for secondary educators.

While the median duration from marriage to divorce in Australia is 13.2 years, the median duration to final separation is shorter, at approximately 9 years.

This indicates a gap of 3–4 years between the breakdown of the relationship and the legal finalisation of divorce.

This period also aligns with a time of higher neurobiological vulnerability.

Research shows that adolescents aged 15–17 have higher levels of distress during routine separation (21%) compared with younger groups, based on parent reports.

Health professionals also report more concerns about the wellbeing of 15–17-year-olds than other children.

Because of this, secondary schools become an important place where the complex impacts of family breakdown appear.

However, some indicators appear more clearly in secondary schools, especially school refusal.

School refusal is different from truancy.

In the classroom, high-conflict divorce often shows clear changes in student behaviour.

This neurological state makes students acutely sensitive to environmental stressors.

Evidence suggests that the adolescent stress-response involves an increased secretion of cortisol, and prolonged exposure to family conflict can lead to sustained cortisol secretion, which is a neurobiological marker for depression and other psychological dysfunctions.

There is a clear link between parents' emotional states and adolescents' brain responses.

Turpyn et al. (2017) found that higher levels of parental negative emotion are linked to increased activation of the adolescent amygdala, the brain's threat detection centre, when adolescents are exposed to negative stimuli.

This neurobiological change affects educational outcomes.

The mental effort needed to manage this heightened arousal uses resources required for complex academic tasks.

For students with ASD, having predictable routines is important for emotional regulation, but parental separation often brings changes in households and unpredictable schedules, disrupting these routines.

As a result, students may show more self-stimulatory behaviours, sensory seeking, or withdrawal.

The challenges of living between two households create particular risks for neurodiverse students, as inconsistencies in routines and sensory environments can trigger anxiety and overload.

In high-conflict divorces, this communication often breaks down, leading to what teachers call "communication uncertainty".

Teachers frequently face unclear situations about which parents can make key decisions, such as regarding medication or Individualised Education Plans (IEPs), causing delays or loss of essential support.

To reduce the negative effects of family breakdown, secondary schools need to go beyond reactive discipline and adopt proactive, trauma-informed teaching approaches.

The Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) provides a framework for students who may be disengaged or disruptive due to trauma, supporting them to "heal first, then thrive".

For students with special needs experiencing family separation, teaching strategies must be translated into practical "reasonable adjustments" to ensure fair access to education.

Supporting students affected by family breakdown requires managing complex and sometimes adversarial parental relationships while strictly following legal requirements.