The impact of parental disruption on Kuwaiti adolescents: a comparative study on children from intact and broken families.

Divorce, which was once a rare phenomenon in Kuwait, now occurs in nearly one third of all marriages. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in self-esteem, locus of control, and attitude toward parents between Kuwaiti adolescents from divorced and intact families. The results revealed that adolescents from divorced families showed higher self-esteem than adolescents from intact families. Within the divorced families, females showed higher self-esteem compared to males. There was no difference in locus of control between divorced and intact families nor were there any gender differences. Divorced fathers were evaluated negatively by their children whereas divorced mothers were evaluated positively. These data are believed to be the first of its kind from divorced families in Kuwait or the Middle East.