THE DISENGAGEMENT OF PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS SUBSEQUENT TO DIVORCE

Divorce within a family is a well researched practice phenomenon that has tended to primarily focus on the nuclear family. However, in the f amily counselling literature there is a lack of a detailed examination of the effect of the adult child's divorce on the grandparent-grandch ild relationship and other family system levels. In particular, patern al grandparents are viewed as being at high risk for losing contact wi th grandchildren when the child-in-law is the custodial mother. It is suggested that the disengaged grandparent phenomenon is more widesprea d than previously believed, and this has serious implications for coun sellors and mediators in the field of family divorce.