The Meaning of Home for Children and Young People after Parental Separation

Melbourne Law School, along with Flinders University and Australian National University have been funded by the Australian Research Council to undertake a qualitative research project examining the meaning of home for children and young people after parental separation. Parental separation is likely to result in big changes in home arrangements for children and young people, yet so far, how children and young people think about ‘home’ after parental separation remains unexplored in research.

This project aims to explore the meaning of home for children and young people in separated families by interviewing children and parents about their experiences of home and homemaking. By talking with parents and children/ young people about what home means we aim to encourage and make it easier for parents and family law professionals (including courts, lawyers, and mediators) to think from a child’s or young person’s  perspective when living arrangements are decided post-parental separation.

Seeking research participants

We’re keen to speak with children and young people aged 8-18 and one of their parents in Victoria, the ACT and South Australia. Parents need to have separated on or after 7 June 2012 and not currently or expected to be involved in family law proceedings.

If you would like to participate please email : meaning-of-home@unimelb.edu.au

Please see Information for parents and children /young people for further information about what is involved.

Research Staff

The research is being conducted by:

• Professor Belinda Fehlberg (Responsible Researcher), University of Melbourne
• Associate Professor Kristin Natalier, Flinders University (Chief Investigator)
• Professor Bruce Smyth, Australian National University (Chief Investigator)
• Dr Monica Campo, University of Melbourne is the project manager and Senior Research Fellow.

What does the study involve?

We will be conducting 45-minute interviews with parents and children/young people separately, either in your home or somewhere convenient and comfortable for you. We will be asking parents and children/young people questions about their experiences at each parent’s home.

As a thank you, you and your child will each receive a $30 gift voucher.

Confidentiality

Your personal information will be treated in the strictest confidence as far as the law allows. Data arising from interviews will be anonymised and deidentified in publications. Interview transcripts and recordings will be deidentified and kept separate from personal information and will be kept securely at the University of Melbourne. This will only be available to the project researchers at Melbourne University, Flinders University and The Australian National University. All transcripts, recordings and personal information will be destroyed 5 years from the study’s final publication.

Taking part is entirely voluntary

You can withdraw at any time before the 31 August 2019 and do not have to answer any particular question. You can also withdraw any information not yet analysed.

Ethics

This study has received ethical clearance from the University of Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee, Flinders University Human Ethics Committee and the Australian National University Ethics Committee.

HREC ID: 1851161.1.

If you have any concerns or queries about the conduct of this research, you may contact:

• Victoria: Manager, Human Research Ethics, Research Ethics and Integrity, University of Melbourne. Tel: +61 3 8344 2073 or Email: HumanEthics-complaints@unimelb.edu.au
• South Australia: The Executive Officer of the Flinders University Social and Behavioural Research Ethics Committee Telephone: 61 8 8201 3116 or Email: human.researchethics@flinders.edu.au
• ACT: The ANU Human Research Ethics Committee, The Australian National University
  Telephone: 02 6125 3427 or Email: Human.Ethics.Officer@anu.edu.au