ABSTRACT
From a historical perspective, relationship breakup can be seen as an expression of the breakup of the stable, marriage-based family type. Functional relationship breakups are characterized by the ability of the parties to survive the process without serious crises resulting for the parents or children involved. Dysfunctional relationship breakups, on the other hand, are characterized by unclear boundaries, whereby the couple’s relationship and the parental relationship overlap; the level of conflict is high and prolonged and causes psychological damage to one or more members of the family. The main topic of this chapter is children’s experiences of dysfunctional relationship breakup.
